Are You Really Being There for Your Young Athlete?

There really is no secret to good parenting. In fact, what works for one parent may not actually work for another. I've seen many different parents whose relationships with their kids are different from my relationship with my own kids. I'm in no position to say I'm better than them, and I'm confident that I'm not a bad parent, either. If there was one thing I believe every parent should give their kids, that would be their 'presence'.

Are you really there for your kids?

When we talk about the idea of 'being there for your kids', many of us would say they're doing a great job! They make sure they're home during dinners, they go on trips with their kids, and they watch their kids play football, etc. I personally used to think it was enough that my kids see me all the time for them to think that I was there for them. But my idea of my 'presence' changed during my son's important basketball game in school.

Could You Be the Reason Your Child Wants to Quit Sports?

As a football coach, I've had so many good and unforgettable memories with the teams I handled and the players I coached, but of course, there are bad moments, too. There is actually one particular moment that I can never forget, and it's when Ken, one of my most promising players told me this - "I don't think I can do this anymore coach... I don't want to play anymore." 

Instead of forcing him to come back to the team and play again, I decided to find out why felt that way about the sport I knew he really loved. Could it be burnout? Did he find another interest? Was I too hard on him? Well, it turned out that none of these was the reason. Rather, it was his parents.

His parents were too involved in his game. His dad, in particular, couldn't stop coaching him and telling him what he should and shouldn't do to win a game. Almost all conversations they have at home was centered on how Ken could become a better player. These all became too much for him to handle...

How supportive should parents be to their child's sport?

2 Misconceptions that May Prevent Our Kids from Being Truly Successful in Sports

When I was young, I used to be very active in joining school athletics and I would even volunteer to represent my small hometown in our amateur football league. It was through this sport that I developed a lot of confidence in myself and in my skills. I also met a lot of people and made so many new friends in the process. 

Now that I have kids of my own, it's always been my goal to let them experience the joy of being engaged in sports. Sadly, however, it seems that youth sports has changed so much already. I believe this is the reason why many parents are very frustrated with today's athlete development. 

The methods used by children today who want to succeed in sports are actually not developing young kids the way they should. To make matters worse, the path that many children are being made to follow isn't the path to best develop an athlete.

My goal here is to make you, whether you're a parent or a young athlete, aware of the common misconceptions or myths surrounding athlete development of the youth. By having this knowledge, you may be able to know for yourself if you or your child is on the right path towards development.