How Can I Be a Good Sports Parent?
Most parents want to do what’s best for their kid. Based on the title of this blog, if you are reading this, it probably means you do too. The problem is, sometimes it’s hard to know what “the best” is. Sure, there are books and podcasts and TedTalks out there, but when it comes to parenting your kid in particular, no one but you can decide how you should do that. Since every child, every circumstance, and every athletic experience are unique, no one can provide every answer. You'll need the wisdom and discernment to do that for yourself.
So, as a sports parent, instead of turning to how-to guides for specific answers, what if you found sports parents resources that could inform your own solutions. That way, instead of feeling like someone else is telling you what to do, you can think critically about the different philosophies and approaches for being a sports parent. Then you can come to your own conclusions about the best practices for sports parenting.
In the following article, we discuss some different types of sports parents and what makes a good sports parent.
How to Be a Good Sports Parent
There are all sorts of tips and tricks for how to be a supportive parent in sports, but our philosophy at Champions 101 really boils down to three main pillars:
Keep it fun
Maintain your perspective
Act and make decisions with intention and purpose
In addition, we think being a positive role model for your kids is incredibly important. Our child's athletic success starts, of course, with the mindsets and behaviors we model, and the example we choose to set. We will touch on that more throughout. So, without further ado, let’s break down these pillars.
Keep It Fun
This sounds pretty easy, but can sometimes get lost along the way as a sports parent. According to one study, emphasizing fun is one of the most important steps for kids to have an enriching experience with sports. If you are able to keep it fun, your kid is more likely to keep playing the game, which of course provides them more opportunities to absorb life lessons like working hard, leading a healthy life, displaying sportsmanship, and so much more
So how do you do that? One of the best ways is to just be positive. Here are some tips on embodying positive parent behavior in sports:
Make the experience about more than just winning. Emphasize hard work and enjoyment. When a child feels like the only thing that matters is winning, fun takes a back seat. By highlighting effort, your kid can feel positive about their performance, regardless of the final score, as long as they know they worked hard.
Talk to your child regularly about their experience with sports. This will help you gain insight into their enjoyment level, concerns, and ultimately their desire to either play or quit. If it turns out that they aren’t enjoying themselves, maybe it’s time to try something else like a new sport or a totally different hobby like painting or music. If they are enjoying it, this is a chance for you to reinforce them and continue to support them.
Be a supportive and positive fan! Cheer your kid on, show up to practices and games, and help them process emotions both positive and negative. Don’t be one of those out of control parents at youth sporting events who yells at players, fans, and refs. Be a good role model and display respect and positive affirmation, don’t be a toxic sports parent.
Maintain Your Perspective
As a parent, you know your kid better than anyone. You also know things about life that your kid just hasn’t learned yet. Don’t be afraid to use both of those wells of information to inform how you parent. In certain moments, it can be helpful to try coaching your kid, or talking to them as a fellow athlete, or taking on any other sports-related perspective. However, when it comes to parenting, maintaining your own point of view is essential. Another key component to this is recognizing that the stakes are relatively low with youth sports. That is to say, winning or losing a single game, having one bad play, or having one negative experience, is not the end all be all. As a child it can be hard to realize that, but as a parent, you can help keep things in perspective.
Act and Make Decisions with Intention and Purpose
It’s impossible to know everything about being a (sports) parent. But, just because you can’t predict the future, or control everything in your kid’s life, doesn’t mean you can’t act with purpose and intention. Work with your kid to develop a plan, a strategy, and some goals for their youth sports career. Maybe this means a “try-something-new” rule, or scheduling a weekly check-in. The point is, establish your process and stick with it. Don’t act on a whim. After all, your relationship with your kid is one of the most important things in your life, so make decisions thoughtfully with their best interest in mind.
Champions 101…Developing Lifelong Winning Habits Across Youth Sports
Between parents, coaches, and athletes, youth sports affect millions of people. Champions 101 was founded with the goal of providing every single person in youth sports a foundational understanding of the tools, skill sets, and mindsets, to help them achieve their full potential. After all, champions aren’t born, they’re built (and it takes a village). So, check out our online curriculum to see how we can help parents, athletes, and coaches alike begin building winning habits today.