Nurturing Young Athletes: Adjusting Expectations for Parental Support

As a parent of a youth athlete, you undoubtedly have high hopes and aspirations for your child’s success and well-being. It’s natural to want to provide the best opportunities and make a positive impact on their lives.

However, it’s essential to reflect on your expectations and consider adjusting them in a way that promotes healthier growth and development.

In this blog post, we’ll explore ten fair expectations for parents of youth athletes and offer guidance on how to build awareness and adjust these expectations in a way that fosters your child’s happiness, autonomy, and resilience.

1. Teach them how to cope with adversity:

Adversity is an inevitable part of life, including the world of sports. Instead of shielding your child from every setback, focus on teaching them effective coping strategies. Encourage open communication about challenges they face and help them develop resilience, perseverance, and problem-solving skills.

2. Allow them to fail and learn:

Failure is not the end, but rather an opportunity for growth. Let your child experience setbacks and mistakes without excessive criticism or interference. By allowing them to learn from failures, they’ll develop valuable lessons in resilience, determination, and self-improvement.

3. Give them autonomy to choose and make their own decisions:

Empower your child to make decisions regarding their sports performance, training, and aspirations. Encourage their autonomy and support their choices, as it will instill a sense of responsibility and ownership over their athletic journey. This is especially true for decision-making sports, like soccer, basketball, or lacrosse, etc. The best part of the game is making choices and seeing them work out.  

4. Help them feel safe:

Creating a safe and supportive environment is crucial for your child’s overall well-being. When athletes are underperforming, they are most likley disrupted by a fear. Be their pillar of support, offering love, understanding, and reassurance. Celebrate their successes, and provide comfort and guidance during challenging times. 

5. Teach them breathing and meditation skills:

Sports can be intense, both physically and mentally. Help your child develop mindfulness and stress-management techniques, such as breathing exercises and meditation. These practices will enhance their focus, emotional regulation, and overall mental well-being.

6. Demonstrate health and safe care:

Lead by example when it comes to healthy habits. Emphasize the importance of balanced nutrition, proper hydration, sufficient rest, injury prevention, and most importantly, emotion management. Your actions will shape their understanding of self-care and instill lifelong habits.

7. Tell them they are enough every day:

Boost your child’s self-esteem by expressing your unwavering support and reminding them that their worth extends beyond their performance on the field. Emphasize their unique qualities, talents, and character, helping them understand that their value lies in who they are, not just what they achieve.

8. Teach and monitor healthy routines:

Establishing healthy routines promotes discipline and balance in your child’s life. You play a crucial role in teaching a sequence of behaviors, like breathing/meditation, stretching, and using pre-performance routines. Also you can encourage a well-rounded lifestyle that includes proper sleep, nutrition, academic commitments, social interactions, and recreational activities outside of sports. Monitor these routines to ensure they align with your child’s overall well-being.

9. Use your foresight and trust yourself:

As a parent, you possess valuable insight and intuition. Trust your judgment when it comes to guiding your child’s athletic journey. Be proactive, seeking advice when necessary, and consider long-term implications to make informed decisions.

10. Teach them how to prepare for the future:

Sports can provide valuable lessons about goal setting, perseverance, and planning for the future. Encourage your child to set realistic goals, develop strategies to achieve them, and understand the importance of education and personal growth beyond their athletic pursuits. Remember, they will eventually be independent young adults so focus your lessons on the best strategies to excel on their own. 

Parenting youth athletes involves a delicate balance of support, guidance, and realistic expectations. By embracing these ten fair expectations and adjusting your mindset, you can foster a healthier environment that promotes your child’s happiness, autonomy, resilience, and overall development. Remember, your role is not only to shape them into successful athletes but to nurture them into well-rounded individuals who can navigate life’s challenges with confidence and joy.

For more education on how to best support your athlete . . .