Are you content with your child’s youth sports experience? Here’s how you can tell if you are:
- You don’t stress about playing time or position.
- You can sit down and enjoy the game without getting upset at someone.
- You are not counting the days until the season ends.
- You are not nagging your child to do something better–practice more, work harder, concentrate.
If you find yourself guilty of one of these, then I’d like to suggest that there’s a way you can be content during your child’s youth sports experience, no matter what happens. And that way is by completely changing the way you look at youth sports.
This is a huge mindset change and it’s one that many parents are either not aware that they need or that they are simply not willing to address.
But if you find that you are doing one of the four above behaviors, then a mindset change in how you look at youth sports is definitely in order.
Where do I begin to change my youth sports perspective?
The very simple first step is admitting that you are not enjoying your child’s youth sports journey and finding yourself way too stressed about things that really won’t matter in one or two or five or ten years.
Then it’s time to start asking yourself some questions and being very honest about your answers.
Why am I signing my child up for youth sports?
What am I hoping that my child will get from this experience?
When my child is done playing sports, what will she remember most?
What might I be doing that hinders my child from growing through this experience?
What does my child want and need from me as he plays sports?
As you ask yourself these questions, here’s what I want you to do. Write down the question and the answer. Then read it over, even out loud, to yourself. Is this the way you truly want to view youth sports? Is this view of youth sports that is best for your child’s emotional and physical growth?
Keep this paper or journal where you can easily find it when you face frustrations or find yourself feeling agitated about something that’s happening in youth sports. As you read it over and over, reminding yourself of what you really want for your child, you just may find yourself starting to change the way you view the experience.
Mindset changes are a process, so don’t get frustrated when you mess up and forget what’s important. Keep reminding yourself of what you really want for your child and what your child really needs and your perspective will change. It’s a simple process, but it’s not an easy one.
The way you, Mom and Dad, look at youth sports will affect how much you enjoy the experience and how much your child benefits from the journey. This is within your power to change, if you are willing to do the emotional and mental work.
If you are struggling with making this mindset shift and wish that you really could enjoy the journey more, I can help. As a life coach for sports parents, I want to help you make the most out of the youth sports experience for you and for your child. Email me at sportsparents@rcfamilies.com