Surrounding Youth Athletes With a Supportive Community
There are a number of factors that go into the long term success or failure of a youth athlete. I believe one of the biggest of these factors is the level of support the community surrounding the athlete provides.
I’m not only talking about supportive coaches and teammates either. Without doubt, supportive coaches and teammates are a critical component. However, that support is only a piece of the puzzle.
The other pieces of a supportive community that should not be taken for granted include the extended family (including a church family), friends, the parents of friends, neighbors, and teachers. Furthermore, getting strong support from these ancillary people in the community is often the deciding factor in long term success. For example:
- Friends who are non-supportive of athletic goals may provide negative peer pressure that deters an athlete from sacrificing to reach a goal.
- Supportive extended family members may be an emergency funding source for critical expenses for make or break opportunities
- Non-supportive teachers may attempt to sabotage athletes who have to miss class to attend sporting events. While supportive teachers may go over and beyond to help an athlete succeed despite missing classes.
Many athletes overcome obstacles within their community and still find success. What’s more, learning how to overcome obstacles is an important part of growing resilient and building character. However, having a strong community to support your child builds confidence and confidence is needed to overcome obstacles. So ideally, community obstacles are a type of obstacle that should be avoided.