A Mistake Parents Must Stop Making When Kids are Playing Youth Sports
Not every elite youth athlete will turn into an elite high school athlete. Furthermore, not every elite high school athlete will turn into an elite college athlete, and not every elite college athlete will turn into an elite professional athlete. History proves this is a fact.
History also proves the reverse of this is indeed a fact as well. Average youth athletes can turn out to be elite high school athletes, and so on and so forth through the college and pros. So, what can a parent gain when they compare their child’s ability in a sport to another child? Absolutely nothing but heart ache.
This is why I think it’s a huge mistake when parents worry about how their child compares to another young athlete. For example, one kid in your community is a flat-out rock star. They are strong and fast, display MVP skills at every big event, and dominate with intensity from start to finish in every event.
Nearly every parent wants their child to be that good. Some may be jealous of that child. They may even try to copy the parents’ techniques for motivating that child or even try to one up those methods by going further to do whatever it takes to get their child to be a rock star as well.
Heed this warning. Never be that parent. Every child is different, and every child finds their motivation through a different means. Attempting to copy the parent of the “rock star” kid is more likely to cause your child to hate a sport than to help them become a rock star athlete. It’s much easier to be an effective sports parent when you tailor your approach to fit your child’s unique personality.
The more you understand what drives your child’s self-motivation, the better you can help them develop into an elite athlete. It’s not the other way around. If your child is not currently the poster child youth athlete, don’t worry. Their ability today does not dictate their future. Take the time to evaluate their unique personality and strengths and help them find their unique path forward. Contact me here to find out how I can help you with this.