Don’t “Should” on Your Kids

Losing is tough, so allowing them to take ownership does not mean piling on with criticism or critique. We are all vulnerable to a loss, so they still need encouragement, love, and support. As we can’t let a win go to our head, we can’t allow a loss to go to our heart. They need reassurance after losing that they are still great.

Time spent playing informal sports showed a positive and significant correlation with creativity. On the other hand, time devoted only to formal sports participation revealed a negative relationship with creativity.

Our goal is to model the behavior that we want to see in our own children. If

Often parents and coaches think of getting athletes to buy in instead of taking ownership. When athletes take ownership of their development, it means that they have skin in the game and stock in the company.

Scott McNealy, the father of top-ranked Stanford University golfer Maverick McNealy, placed specific guidelines on electronic device usage inside of the home. No phones or any electronics inside of the bedroom. The reasoning was that the bedroom was meant for sleeping and anything else was a distraction. Even studying was done outside of the bedroo

How much do they value winning compared to playing? 2. Can your child earn playing time? 3. How important is a balance between academics and athletics? 4. What is the level of commitment between academics and athletics? (Every school varies.) 5. Did they enjoy the feel of the program and underclass members of the team, not just the seniors? 6. How

Playing it safe is risky. The safe perfectionist plays not to lose, rather than to win.

When we root for others, it means that we are confident. Rooting for everyone means wanting to beat people at their best. It is honoring them for their talent and respecting them as fellow athletes. We should want them to play well, but just for us to play a little bit better.

Let’s start with the end in mind. What is the goal of having our kids participate in sports? If the reason for playing is externally driven (such as a college scholarship,) then building mental toughness will be extremely difficult. Outcomes and external factors need to be the byproduct of sports, not the driver.