Roughly 70% of kids quit sports by age 13.
Kids stop playing sports for various reasons but the
main reason cited is “burnout.” Burnout
by…age 13?
Test yourself again and again – first, are both parents
on the same page regarding youth sports time, expenses and expectations? Second, are the parents’ goals aligned with
the student-athlete’s abilities and interests?
A study by i-9 Sports surveyed 400 working sports-moms
on the impact of youth sports on the family.
The results? Not so good.
25% of sports-moms reported conflict with spouses over
sports expenses and deciding which sports the child could play;
66% of sports-moms reported that youth sports
interfered with work and promotions; and
76% of sports-moms reported that they were glad when
season ended!
Kids are sponges.
They will pick up on parental conflict no matter how well the parents
shield this from their child. And if mom
and dad are arguing back and forth on sports expectations that will obviously
have a negative impact on how the youth athlete views playing sports. Parental conflict is a contributing cause of
burnout. This is why it is so important for sports parents to get on the same
page before even thinking about hiring a personal coach, sports psychologist or
nutritionist for the student-athlete.
Parental support is the foundation for anything else that follows.
Here’s two classic examples of youth sports burnout....to be continued...
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