Effective Sports Parenting Tips! Do’s & Don’t
by Hope Elizabeth Dutton | December 15, 2021
It is that time of year when spring youth sports and club seasons are kicking into high gear!
As a volleyball sports mom, I have had many years to reflect on previous seasons as I prepare for my second daughter’s coming club season!
With this vantage point, I have been provided lots of opportunities to consider both the benefits and challenges for those of us who have kids involved in sports and, in this case, specifically volleyball!
Just the juggling act of time and finances involved in this "pay to play" type arena is enough of a financial and often, physical and emotional stretch, but oh, the rewards and the enormous amounts of family fun and the BONUS fun you can have with your club family that you can't beat! Not to mention all the learning opportunities on and off the court.
Yet...besides being the financier, courier and general all around "utility" parent...how does this kind of involvement make us feel?
As a former high school cheer coach on the sidelines of multiple sports, high school educator for 27 years, and sport mom of three children who collectively have had a LOT of years involved in multiple sports ranging from recreational to elite travel teams and a signed college recruit who recently hung up her knee pads, I’ve had the benefit of talks with coaches from all levels and caliber from around the country. So while, I would never claim to be an “expert” (is there such a thing?) I certainly feel I have had plenty of experiences and multiple opportunities to gain insight in this arena!
Admittedly, I have stumbled and made plenty of my own mistakes along the way in my effort to do what I thought was best for my girls in the moment. Additionally, I have had plenty of great, “hey mom, give yourself an attaboy” sport mom moments too!
Let’s face it, this gig is tough and there really is no handbook, especially when I happened to start this crazy journey when my oldest was six!
I have since come to realize that as a sports parent (mom), we make big commitments and sacrifices to our child’s sporting efforts.
We are the ones investing time, money, carpooling, fund raising, making team meals, attending games, buying equipment, paying for travel, hotels, possible tournament registrations, club fees, camps, clinics, privates - you name it - not to mention the personal sacrifices as a family! I can’t even tell you how many family functions we have missed over the years!
So while THIS is all about THEM, we are their ultimate supporters. As a result, we naturally get super invested and it is a tough balance to maintain!
However, self-awareness is the foundation from which good sports parenting decisions come.
The goal is to keep the team and child’s needs on the front burner, and ours on the back. Understanding your own feelings and thoughts about competition, character development, styles of coaching and realistic expectations become the backbone toward communicating with your child about sports in an appropriate, healthy manner.
The challenge of being a sports parent?
The balance of knowing what to let go, while encouraging their end goal!
With that in mind, it is important to remember that it is your child’s experience; they are the one practicing and competing, and ultimately winning or losing out there. Your job is to support and help them have fun, compete hard, and develop good character through this sporting experiences.
So here are some tips I’ve found helpful through my own experiences, that are worthwhile to share with other sport parents too.
On the Sideline
Your child can pick your voice out over everything else when they compete. Despite coaches shouting instructions, teammates chattering, and possibly deafening facilities - your child will hear your voice. So, choose your words wisely, if you are going to make yourself heard!
● Cheer but Don’t Coach: Your child has coaches on the bench who call the shots. It makes it challenging for them to focus and fulfill their role on the court if you shout your own instructions from the sideline or wait for breaks to whisper in their ear. It can be confusing, distracting, or irritating and can be to their detriment if they follow your lead instead of their coach’s. Instead, use your voice to encourage effort, attitude, and sportsmanship. These are things your child can control and will help the team most!
● Stay Positive: Remember that your conduct reflects you, your child, and the team or club. Even if you think the referee is making terrible calls, the coach is making horrible decisions, or the opposition is playing dirty, focus on your child and the TEAM! Find something positive to say about their performance, or simply stay quiet. No good comes from negative discussions in the bleachers, shouting at the ref’s or text messages to the coach during a game! Remember, Positive Mental Attitude even when on the sidelines!
● Body Language Speaks Volumes: If you choose to be a silent observer on the sideline, you can still communicate a lot to your child. Your body language will tell them if you’re excited, on the edge of your seat, disappointed, aggravated, and so on. Keep in mind that your child is aware of you, out of their peripheral when you are excited over a win or great play. They are also aware when you are pacing, standing still, slouching or not even watching if they aren’t playing well or the team is losing. No matter the score, continue to cheer, give a little thumbs-up, clap or smile! These gestures will only be beneficial in the long run! Again, remember Positive Mental Attitude!
In the Car
It’s important to know how to communicate with your child after a practice, game or match. The trick is figuring out how to talk with them so that they feel supported and know that you paid attention, but not so much they feel pressured and end up shutting you out. Nothing good or productive ever comes from those shut down moments, so here are some tips to successfully navigate these conversations:
● Let Your Child Take the Lead: When you get in the car after a game, suppress the urge to jump in deep and talk about plays or offer pointers and feedback. I try to keep things light, ask open ended questions or let them initiate a conversation reflecting on the game - if they want to. Sometimes we don’t even talk about it at all, because invariably it comes up anyway yet in a more natural and organic manner. When this occurs, these conversations can be much more meaningful to your child! Especially if you let them take the lead. Yet when they do start to talk to you REALLY listen to what they are saying, rather than waiting for your turn to reply about any of the things you have been dying to talk about. Listening to what they have to say gives you insight and reflection into how they’re processing the game and performance, and even how they are getting along with teammates and coaches.
● Focus on the Process: As you talk to your child focus on the process, rather than the outcome. Let them know that you support them and recognize their effort independent of the scoreboard. Pick out some good plays that showed effort, teamwork, effective communication, or a good attitude. Tell them that you recognized that behavior. This shows that you not only reinforce that kind of sportsmanship but that you really paid attention to them out there. Of course, there is nothing wrong with celebrating wins! But, win or lose, your child can still have had a good performance or individual strength that can be focused on that is a benefit to the team!
● Talk the Talk: Make sure you take the high road – and take your child right along with you! During post-game conversations, expect your child to speak respectfully about coaches, teammates, opponents, and referees. Model this too, by avoiding placing blame or criticizing coaching decisions or player performances. Kids tend to vent if they are upset about a loss and that is okay but it is easy for it to go to far. So keep a positive, respectful focus on what your child learned from the experience.
In General
Beyond on the sideline and in the car, there are a few general thoughts that we need to be aware of that seem common sense but sometimes in our enthusiasm, frustration or uncertainty on how to proceed, we lose sight of!
● Attitude, Attitude, Attitude: Your behavior and/or attitude is often reflected in your child's behavior and/or attitude on the court or sidelines. Your child is generally a mirror of you. For example, I tend to be a cheerleader on the sidelines. Regardless if my child is in or out, I am cheering! As a result, my children are team cheerleaders too, whether playing or on the sideline, they are pumping their team up! Additionally, after loads of conversations with coaches from all different sports and levels, they all agree on one thing, a parent's attitude toward the coach will also be reflected in the child's attitude toward the coach. So guide your child’s perspective as you set the tone for a positive attitude!
● Your Child’s Goals May Not Be the Same as Yours: This is a tough one but so very important because ultimately, your child’s sporting goals probably aren’t always going to be the same as yours and you will have to accept that. Allow your kid to be a kid and do some of the things their peers are doing, so they are not always concentrating on a sport or sports! Sometimes you think you have aligned goals, and maybe you do (or did)...but they are kids and their goals change - often! So allow them to re-evaluate during seasonal breaks. Don’t allow them to ditch out or be less disciplined during a season but a child can burn out or become discouraged if they see their peers doing things they don’t have time to do because they are always practicing, training, and playing! Practices are generally non-negotiable, yet training and the “extras” can be. Kids want to please parents, which can lead us to believe we are aligned. All I’m saying - trust the process and be prepared to let go, because our child's goals can change and we need to always be prepared for that!
● Check Your Ego at the Door: You read right! This is a tough one because NONE of us ever think we are THAT parent but take a gut check moment and great strides to check your ego at the gate, the door, and in the stands. Take a lesson in humility because while you guide this ship, this is not about you OR just your kid, it’s about the team. The quicker you realize this, the more fun and productive this whole thing will be! Not to mention, in doing so, you help your child develop amazing sportsmanship, grit, resilience, and ultimately, a respect for life, the game, themselves and others even in the face of frustration over a defeat or the glory of a win!
"If you're not humble, it's hard to be coached. If you can't be coached, it's hard to get better." - Jay Wright, Villanova Basketball Coach
MY FINAL AND MOST IMPORTANT TIP!!!
Enjoy these moments with your girl and family! Soak them up, don’t stress over all the little unknowns, and trust the process, because I assure you, when our family started this journey, I never anticipated how quickly the years would FLY by…yet they do! Somehow it all works out, one way or another and I promise, there will come a day when all the questions, concerns, and “what if’s” that all us volleyball mommas’ agonize over will be a thing of the past and instead, you’ll be wondering, "where did all the time go?!" - just like ME!
Regardless, if you are a new or veteran volleyball mom, Pura Vida Volleyball will always be there for all your volleyball needs with their email “Sign Up And Save” volleyball special offers, free giveaways, once-in-a-lifetime deals, fun blog reading, adorable apparel, gift-giving ideas, and more!
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Great Article, Sometimes we as mom’s need these reminders.
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