Manage challenges with youth athletes
Manage challenges with youth athletes
Maintaining a Balanced Schedule
The child is sometimes torn between several hobbies. If they do not manage all of their activities adequately, they can experience physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, which can lead to problems at school. On the other hand, strain can be very beneficial for full athletic development, and the young athlete may not know what their best sport is until their late teens. Playing multiple sports is a commitment that requires a great deal of understanding on the part of coaches and teammates. The child must try to fulfill their commitments, meet the expectations of each sport, and communicate with the coach concerned as soon as a scheduling conflict arises. As a parent, your role is to make things as easy as possible and to watch your child carefully for signs of fatigue or exhaustion.
Sport and school - making it work
Young athletes should be encouraged to maintain a balance between the demands of school and those of their athletic activity. On the one hand, the school should always be a major center of interest. On the other hand, children invest so much time and energy in sports that their role as an athlete becomes central to their own identity. If the child is having difficulty finding the right balance between school and sport and if they have the time, encourage them to take on other roles that interest them. If time is limited, promote effective planning of practice so that it can easily meet academic requirements.
Explore the possibility of taking seminars on time management and good study habits, if applicable. There is nothing wrong with dreaming of achieving certain athletic goals. They should be aware, however, of the low likelihood of having a professional athletic career. Education, on the other hand, can be the key to their future. Armed with a solid education, they will be able to make the most of their abilities and thus ensure a successful transition to a successful career. Even if one is good at a particular field, it is always wise to cultivate a well-balanced identity and a variety of interests.
Exhaustion
Burnout is a condition that results from working excessively, for too long, under high pressure. Symptoms of burnout can be physical, mental, and/or emotional. Watch carefully for the following symptoms in your child: a feeling of constant fatigue, deep frustration, not wanting to go to practices or training sessions, increased irritability, headaches, or minor body aches. If fatigue has built up, prolonged rest and emotional healing may be needed. Be ready to intervene quickly.
Fluctuation of playing time
Your young athlete can become very frustrated if they feel like they don't have enough playing time or if they haven't got the desired role on the team. The more upset and resentful they are, the further they will be from the mindset necessary for good performance. Life is about learning to manage the roles you play, whether they are supportive roles or desired roles. Help the young athlete to focus on what they can master. Help them set performance goals. If they focus on their performance, they will have a better chance of getting more playing time, being a starter, or playing a special role in the team. If you respond constructively, the mental, emotional, and team skills that your child develops can become the key to a successful future in both sports and life.
Understanding growth spurts
Parents need to understand that each child grows and develops at their own pace. Some mature faster than others and achieve a lot of success from a young age. Frustration comes later. Others develop more slowly and, if properly supported, they can have great experiences. Parents should also understand that the period a young athlete goes through amid a growth spurt can be particularly difficult. Their levers are suddenly longer, their feet are bigger, and they have less coordination. They may also be slightly more likely to injure themselves until the rest of their body has adjusted. Children need attention and support at all times - but try to show a little more empathy if your child is developing late, experiencing a growth spurt, or has developed rapidly and feels frustrated because others are catching up or overtaking them now.
Injuries
Injuries can be traumatic for the young athlete, who then goes through a range of emotions, from anger to sadness. Help them deal with each emotion by listening and showing empathy. Try to be confident and optimistic while remaining realistic. Support the child who is struggling to reach the rehabilitation goals set by the doctor or therapist. Encourage them to participate in all possible therapeutic activities during the rehabilitation period, for example, doing upper body exercises when the lower body is injured. Continue to monitor their progress towards full recovery, with the ultimate goal of getting them back to where they left off.
The period of rehabilitation following an injury can be a great time to work on outlook, and balance, as well as mental, emotional, and team skills. Finally, children and elite athletes alike should be reminded often to follow the directions of the therapist or physician. Injuries do not mean giving up on dreams.
The cost of sport
The practice of certain sports exceeds the financial capacities of certain parents. Children can then feel extremely guilty, frustrated, and embarrassed about not being able to participate. Parents struggling with financial barriers should consider other options in terms of help or sponsorship. The governing bodies of some sports provide assistance programs to those in need, and community centers have adopted policies to reduce or eliminate costs for those who cannot afford them. Additionally, approaching sponsors can make programs more accessible. Parents should not be embarrassed to seek help or consider all options. Their child's development should be the priority. The sports experience can help a child grow up and make an important contribution to society.
Your child's performance
As the new season approaches, tryout camps can be a very nerve-racking time for the child and parents. Children may become anxious and begin to focus their attention, especially as they get older, on the possibility of not making the team. It is important to remind them to focus on their performance and not to worry about what the coach thinks of them or compares themselves to their teammates.
Encourage the young athlete to set one or two goals for each day of the training camp and review their progress at the end of the day. The more they focus on giving their full potential, the more likely they are to be part of the team. Parents can help children understand that their worth is not questioned during trial camps. There are many paths to excellence. While failure on one side can be momentarily demoralizing, you need to keep things in perspective. Michael Jordan himself has already been dismissed from his school basketball team!
Win, lose, and play the game
It's just as good to win as it is to lose. But for your child (and for yourself), the most important thing should be how they have played. After the game, avoid asking competition-based questions like these:
Did you win? Did you score a goal?
You may be just showing interest, but the effects can often be harmful to your child. Questions based on the competition can trigger feelings of failure, guilt, and embarrassment, and confuse a child about the priority given to participation as a primary goal. Instead, help your child objectively assess their performance. Ask performance-based questions like these:
What went well? How can you improve? How can you achieve these improvements? What were the highlights? Did you have fun?
Feedback is extremely important - the main focus should be learning and improving, not winning and losing.
Loss of confidence, fear, anger
Most young athletes are nervous or anxious before playing a game. Some even have a faster heartbeat and easily get tense. You can often see the concern in their eyes.
Young athletes are not the only ones to feel nervous before a competition; even professional athletes experience it.
Being scared can be expressed in two ways: either negatively or positively.
Parents can help their children manage their fear.
First, be aware of your anxiety or nervousness. Many parents feel anxious when they watch their son or daughter play. Some parents may need to get up and go for a walk to relax. Recognize that your nervousness can affect your children's feelings and performance.
Help your child understand that their anxiety can help them play well and that they can benefit from it. By comparing good and bad games, children can become aware of their emotions and realize that these unpleasant physical sensations are there to serve them.
Emotional pressure
We must be aware that the emotional pressure present in any competition is very heavy for a young child to bear. There is a lot of information to manage and eliminate to focus solely on the game. Some children manage it naturally, but for the most part, it's a panic on board.
All of this can be learned, provided you are aware of what our children expect from playing any sport, being attentive to their feelings and objectives, and preserving their enjoyment of the game.
Because let's not forget... Children must first and foremost take pleasure in what they do; otherwise, sooner or later, they will drop out. Too much stress and too much pressure at an emotional age can be a real disaster.
Each child is different and has different emotional maturity. Ignoring this is a big mistake that many parents and coaches unknowingly make because they believe they are doing the right thing and that only the result counts.
The confidence and self-esteem of a young player must be built in training, regardless of whether games are lost or won, without pressure, with easily achievable goals. By constantly focusing on what is positive in your child's play and attitude, you will help them want to progress and take on challenges while having fun.
Working with teammates
Encourage your young athlete to communicate with their teammates. If they express their views, they can defuse difficult situations; if they say nothing, the situation may escalate. When the child learns to communicate well, they will be able to focus on improving their performance for their benefit and the teams. Similarly, each team should have a code of conduct that encourages open and honest sharing of feelings before children experience too much emotional strain. The goal is to prevent anything from becoming an insurmountable obstacle. Good communication between teammates should enhance team performance, both in practice and in competition. Poor communication can only lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, anger, and a decline in team performance.
Next read: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/keeping-your-cool/how-not-to-panic-in-open-water-swim