Parental Influences on Young Athletes

[kdsmith27 14]

Parental Influences on Young Athletes

Brian Grasso

As the parent of perhaps a young, talented athlete, you may find yourself torn between the issue of how much support and involvement is enough versus too much. Positive praise or negative criticism? Cheerful observer from the stands or vocal second-guesser?

Some statistics I have recently uncovered illustrate what amounts to a fairly important role that a parent can play in the sporting lives of their young athletes -

World class athletes polled suggested that the relationship they had with there parent's was supportive and calming rather than negative. They also noted that they were not "pushed" towards success.

Parental participation with a child is an incredibly important factor for influencing sport and activity behaviors later in life (don't just sign you kid up for sports and become a fan... play with your kids when they are young and become a solid role model).

There is a positive correlation between an athlete's perception of parental encouragement and their current levels of involvement in a particular sport.

A father's physical activity has a relationship on his son's physical activity - when father's are active, their son's are more likely to be active later in life. This is gender specific and also holds true for mother's and daughter's.

A study of high achievers in sport showed a very strong correlation with an influencing, supportive and stable family.

Bottom Line Food For Thought...

Be supportive of your child's athletic life and avoid becoming too negative or vocal. Let them dialogue with you if they experience a bad game and make them know that you are there for just that purpose - to listen.

Resist the urge to comment on their bad play (or the play of their teammates). Also, steer clear of vocalization your thoughts about their coach or second guessing his/her decisions.

Especially at a young age, develop the habit of playing with your kids once or twice a week. This one issue alone could change the obesity rates that we are currently see rise throughout the world. Commit yourself and your children to 1 - 3 "fun play" sessions a week

Provide a stable setting for your young athletes in the form of a friendly and supportive family environment. The last thing a child needs is negative talk or feedback after a game.