Each week ResponsibleSports.com offers the Responsible Sports community a weekly Parent and Coach Tip. This week’s Parent Tip focuses on communication between you and your child:
"Before enrolling your child in any respective season, always ask them if they want to play. If he/she says 'Yes,' remind them they are committing to the team for the entire season, including games AND practices."
The "life lessons" portion of Responsible Sport Parenting starts with getting on the same page with our kids. Determining goals for our kids in sports is an important subject to start with when our kids begin a new season.
Why do your children want to play youth sports? Why do they want to participate?
Once you consider those answers and recognize where you and your child agree and differ, you can establish common ground for conversations that will help you and your child get what you want from youth sports.
To start, talk about possible goals that you might have for your child:
- Become a good athlete
- Learn to play the sport
- Win
- Gain self-confidence
- Learn to deal with defeat
- Physical fitness
- Learn "life lessons"
- Have fun
Now, consider asking this same question of your kids about the goals they have for themselves during the season. You might be surprised to see what they are thinking. Getting "level set" through this conversation helps both of you get on the same page. And in the end, that helps both of you get the most out of the youth sports experience. Getting answers to your questions can:
- Help us as parents articulate and prioritize our goals
- Remind us of the educational and character-development opportunities in youth sports
- Help us talk with our kids -- as equals and in a spirit of partnership -- about their goals.
Visit the page
determining goals for our kids in sports on ResponsibleSports.com to get tools you can use to help talk with your athlete.
Want to sign up to receive these weekly Parent or Coach tips in your inbox? Visit our Responsible Sports Dialog section and sign up for these tips. And while you're there, sign up to receive Fundamentals, our monthly e-Newsletter.
< Back to previous page