- Support for your child must be unconditional.
- Be patient for the process, and enjoy it.
- Understand how the developmental progression works for sports skills.
- Be knowledgeable that many of the developmental milestones for sports skills cannot be accelerated beyond their natural limit.
- Realize that physical, chemical, and mental development all affect ability and all progress along different timetables.
- Support achievements as they occur. This will reduce pressure to achieve skills that are not quite ready.
- Remember, your child has his or her own likes and dislikes and should be able to participate without pressure to choose a certain activity.
- Remember that there are developmental patterns for chemical changes that allow your child to be able to progress in training intensity when it is time.
- Understand the extra changes that occur in the puberty transition from child to teenager.
- Don’t overreact to normal developmental processes and changes that occur during puberty and may temporarily affect ability.
- Understand the profound developmental effect of a firm positive foundation of self-esteem on future performance and ability to handle competitive pressure.
- Redefine success and make sure performance disappointments are not seen as failures that the child might take personally.
- Teach your child that winning means a lot more than a gold medal (you first have to believe that yourself).
- Encourage your child any way you can.
- Find more things your child is doing right than things to criticize.
- Support by being visible at their events.
- Keep your comments positive without a lot of addenda or stipulations.
- Help your children take some responsibilities for their sport without making them feel overwhelmed with duties.
- Watch for warning signs of burnout or avoidance.
- Remember your child is a child, not a child-sized adult.
- Help your child set realistic goals (not your goals).
- Allow changes in sports, and encourage exposure to different sports.
- Instill a sense of value in exercise and fitness regardless of structured competition.
- Communicate sincerely and often with your child about his or her desires.
- Help your child build a strong sense of self-worth and identity that is not dependent on the sport itself or level of achievement.
- Provide positive momentum by celebrating reality successes as often as possible.
What parents can do to create a positive youth sports experience
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