I. Parents Support, Don’t Coach
Parent-Athlete-Coach
Communication: Parents
must get on the same page with the spouse (or ex) concerning communications
with the coach, expectations of the youth athlete, and the parenting plan and
child support expenses for youth sports.
This is the foundation.
Sports
Parenting Role: Effective sports parenting is about
providing unconditional support to the athlete.
There’s no need for the parent to become an expert in whatever sport the
child plays. Let the coach do the
coaching. There’ll be a ton of bad days
of practice or mistakes in the game and the athlete will look to the parents
(hopefully) for support. Remind parents that “players play, coaches coach and parents support.”
Don’t
“Wing it”: Effective
sports parenting is a skill that requires hard work. Parents should study and develop a game plan
for how to build pre-game confidence and post-game coping and learning skills
in the youth athlete.
