Sports Parenting Principles to Raise Your Athletes On

Raising young children to be the best possible adults is no small challenge. Parenting is a full-time job and there are plenty of interesting obstacles that can come along without much warning. When you’re the parent to young athletes, you need to make sure you take time to instill the right principles in your little ones. By teaching your kids the right ethics of game-play and good sportsmanship, you can do wonders to inspire and motivate.

From investing in the right gear like custom athletic socks to learning to accept what can’t be controlled, there are plenty of lessons to instill. Take a look at these tips to figure out how to help your own young athletes find success on and off the field.

Focus on What Can Be Controlled

The idea that a team needs to win every game in order to be worthwhile is one that kids need to forget early. While it is true that one of the main purposes of playing a sport is to win the game, there is only so much a single player can control. If you find that your child is getting increasingly upset when his or her team doesn’t come out on top, it is time to sit down and have a chat about control. Your child can only control how he or she plays, not the whole team’s performance.

Though it might take time, this reminder can serve an important role in keeping your child focused on what matters. As long as he or she commits to the game fully, how the other players perform will not serve as a frustration or distraction.

Wear the Right Gear

Dressing for success is also crucial when it comes to helping your child get the most out of his or her time playing sports. The exact gear that a child will require will depend entirely upon the sport that is being played. For soccer, shin and mouth guards are required. Helmets are needed when there’s a possibility of an impact to the head, such as with baseball and football. By staying on top of safety, you’re helping your little one play his or her best and stay protected all the while.

With any sport, a little bit of flair is also a fun idea to explore. Custom athletic socks can be worn while playing anything from soccer to baseball. Personalize a pair of socks for your children and it can be a fantastic way to help instill a new sense of fun in the sport.

The Look-Ahead Principle

When faced with a trying time, one of the best questions every sports parent should ask themselves is this: Will this matter in 10, 5 or even 1 year?

Most sports parents spend way too much time, emotion, and energy focused on things that aren’t going to matter down the road in life.

Oh, but you say, “My child’s self esteem could be injured if he doesn’t get enough playing time.” No, your child’s self-esteem will only be injured if they base their identify on the minutes they play. This is where YOU come in. It’s not the lack of playing time that will traumatize your child, but how you handle it and how you help them handle it that could.

The Blame-Game Principle

Sometimes it feels like the best way to soothe anger and frustration is to find someone to blame. This happens daily in our world and youth sports is no exception.

You or your kids want to blame the official, the coach, a player on their team, or the weather.

The problem with blame is that sometimes it’s true. It may very well be a bad call by the official, a poor decision by a coach, a thoughtless action by a teammate, or a wet field that caused the problem. But blame never solves the problem. Blame just makes the blamer feel justified and actually may keep them from looking for ways to improve so as not to face that mistake again. 

Don’t Coach from the Side

This final tip is for the parents of young athletes. If you aren’t the coach of your child’s team, you need to keep this fact in mind at games or gatherings. Plenty of parents like to live vicariously through their children’s activities. While you might feel like you know what’s best, the coach definitely knows better. Stay on the sidelines and only interact to encourage the team. This will help keep your relationship with the coach amiable and help you avoid causing a scene.

Helping your children discover success as young athletes is all about teaching the right lessons. Take time to explore your options with creating custom athletic socks at Socks Rock, learn how to stay silent on the sidelines, and encourage a sense of fun whenever your kids hit the field. These small steps can go a long way to creating lasting memories.