Responsibilities of parents of youth athletes
When it comes to the world of youth sports, parents play a crucial role in shaping their child's experience and development. The responsibilities of parents of youth athletes encompass a wide range of important aspects. From providing support and encouragement to fostering a positive and nurturing environment, parents have the power to make a significant impact on their child's journey in sports. Whether it's encouraging participation, emotionally supporting their child through the ups and downs, or maintaining constructive relationships with coaches, referees, and other parents, the responsibilities of parents of youth athletes extend beyond the sidelines. By fulfilling these responsibilities with care and dedication, parents can help create a positive and enriching sports experience for their children.
Encourage Your Child's Participation
Children should be encouraged to participate in sports without being pressured, intimidated, or coerced into doing so. They will persevere when they find the activity enjoyable and self-motivating. They learn a lot by exploring different possibilities and making their own choices. Parents can provide great support by being open and encouraging toward their children.
Look Forward to Your Child's Participation
Playing sports can be an important aspect of a child's life. Be content with their participation and enjoy it as much as possible. Parents who have knowledge about the sports in which their young athlete is involved (rules, skills, and strategies) can better understand their performance. Rest assured that most sports programs adequately consider the physical, technical, tactical, psychological, and social development of the child. In this process, your child's best interests should include learning new skills, enhancing their performance, and, of course, having fun.
Emotionally Support Your Child
Sports programs can be demanding, and the child must know that their parents are there to provide support. Help your young athlete handle training and competitive stress positively by offering your support, regardless of their performance outcomes. Listen to them and show empathy. Try to understand how they feel about the situation. Fear, anger, guilt, embarrassment, surprise, sadness, joy, and excitement are all normal emotions, and sports provide an excellent opportunity to learn how to deal with them. Accept the full range of emotions that the young athlete and you experience. Assist the child in communicating, interpreting, and coping with their feelings, and don't hesitate to do the same with your own emotions. Finally, support your child by attending as many games and competitions as possible. Be there for their triumphs as well as their defeats.
Relationships with Key People
Your Child's Coach
You and your child's coach are part of the same team and share many goals. However, your priorities may differ. The coach's priority is the team, while yours is your child's development. Fulfill your role by supporting and encouraging your child, and allow the coach to fulfill theirs. Not all coaches may be ideal, so if you have concerns, feel free to discuss them to help improve the situation. Avoid undermining the coach's authority, as this puts both the coach and your child in a difficult position. If difficulties persist, help your child turn the situation into a learning experience. In the case of serious problems like harassment or abuse, report them to the relevant sports disciplinary body or authorities and remove your child from the program if necessary. Lastly, if you believe you have more knowledge than the coach, you might consider becoming a coach yourself. Organizations always need coaches who are willing to dedicate their time and energy to provide quality sports experiences for children.
The Referees
Believe it or not, you and the referees are on the same team, albeit with different roles. Referees are responsible for knowing and enforcing the rules and regulations of the sport for the benefit of the game and the competitors. Your role is to support and encourage your child, their team, the opposing team, the referees, and others involved. Support the referees in their work and remember that your actions can influence them. Parents of young athletes should try officiating themselves to understand the challenges involved and how abusive behavior from parents can negatively affect athletes' performance. Consider how your child might feel if the coach and the program have standards for referee behavior, while you, as a parent, behave differently in the stands. As a parent of a young athlete, make sure to align yourself with the program's expectations.
Other Parents
The majority of parents whose children play sports are good people who want the best for their kids. Unfortunately, sometimes a minority dominates program planning and priority setting because the majority remains silent. When there is open communication among parents, children, and the program, everyone benefits from having healthy priorities. If you have any concerns, feel free to share them with others to see if they share the same concerns. Support the coach and encourage everyone to voice their concerns and suggestions. If possible, discuss the program goals with the coach at the beginning of the season. Encourage other parents to do the same. Then, monitor your child's progress throughout the year. Whenever possible, try to foster constructive dialogue with parents from opposing teams. This helps kids and coaches maintain an open mind and a healthy rivalry. By working together, we can create a positive environment for young athletes to thrive in sports.
Next read: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/grit/7-brakes-that-prevent-you-from-taking-action