Learn About Kids in Competitive Sports: Success Ideas for Parents

You will find there's more tension and stress among kids these days in sports activities. Kids participate in travel teams, showcases and have to try out for some teams when they are as young as 8 years old. So it is more than essential that parents learn some of these success principles to help their athletes be successful and enjoy playing their sport. rnHere are my top 6 tips for sport parents: rn1. Encouragement is the keyrn rnEncouragement is just about the most significant need of almost any kid in sports. Believe me you absolutely cannot over do positive reinforcement. Problems start because coaches and parents only offer encouragement when the child gives a great performance and they call that encouragement. This just guarantees your child becomes dependent trying to make sure they always give “good” performances. rnThis leads to performance anxiety. What parents should do is show their delight, joy and excitement while just watching their athlete play their sport. As an example, instead of expressing, “Way to kick that field goal”, you say something more general such as, “I loved the self-assurance I saw when you were kicking that ball.” rnSee how you can say the last sentence even if your kid missed! rn2. Winning isn’t everythingrn rnAsk yourself the question, “why do you want your kid to play sports?” Most sports parents and youth coaches say that they want them to have fun and build important life skills like leadership and determination. Think about it though, your kids can accomplish these two things whether they win or not and there’s a case to be made they learn more from losing than winning. rn3. Nutrition is keyrn rnSadly, this is one of the most overlooked areas of youth sports teams. Your kids are out there moving their body and hopefully sweating up a storm so it is extremely important to keep them hydrated. Those florescent sports drinks just don’t cut it. They are filled with sugar that spikes their blood sugar then brings them crashing down. rn4. Sleeping well is critical for kidsrn rnUnderstandably, parents of kids playing sports tend to ignore how important sleep is because there is “only so many hours in a day”. The kids are also so wired because they are worried and stressed about keeping up with their studies and giving their all to their team. This leads to having a hard time falling asleep. It is important that they wind down time at night and have a regular bedtime schedule. rn5. Acceptancern rnThis is crucial for kids. While you cannot force your kid’s friends to like your child, you should check in to find out how they are fitting in. Unfortunately there are some coaches who pit players against each other, but studies show everyone does better when there is team harmony. This is especially important to watch out for when working with girl’s teams. rnA big reason why kids quit sports is because of bullying. Make sure there should be a no tolerance policy on your kids’ teams. rn6. Always show that you respect their opinionrn rnIf you played the same sport or just know something about your kid’s sport, does not mean you will always know the best way to help him become a better player. You are on the wrong track if you think to yourself “Well, it worked for me” – believe me! rnThe e-book that helps parents learns effective communication called, “The 10 Commandments for a Great Sports Parent.” It starts by explaining the importance of asking permission and respecting “no.” If you go past that, you are only hurting your relationship and in time their confidence and overall performance.