Now that Cooper has officially started a sport (1st weekend of Soccer under our belts)I wanted to make sure I was being a supportive parent. Kip Watson LPC-S shared a sad statistic that 70% of kids quit sports by age of 13. One of the contributing factors to this is the conversation that happens between kids and parents on “the car ride home”. This can be an important aspect of your child’s experience with sports. Know your child and how they experience a difficult task – are they an extrovert and want to talk about it, or are they an introvert and need to mettle quietly over it. LISTEN to your kid, and their experience of their experience, not your experience. Help them grow in mental toughness.
Here are some kids to ask your child:
– Have you had fun?
– Did you make any new friends?
– What was fun? Or your favorite part?
Your Goals should not be for them to always win, or be the best player on the team, but to teach them team-work, resilience, confidence, etc. Help them to be consistent Parents make sure you are telling your child something you are PROUD of regularly!
