01/04/2025
Food for thought.
Do you want to show up better for your athlete in 2025?
Here are four New Year’s Resolutions for sports parents:
▪️Be willing to acknowledge and accept your sports parent ego - and check in with it regularly.
- So many of us want to pretend our ego doesn’t exist, but for many of us, it does. If you recognize that it’s there, you can adjust when you notice that you’re letting it get in the way of keeping the focus on your athlete.
▪️Take a moment to center yourself before you get out of the car before every game / match / meet / competition.
— Sometimes all it takes is a second to remind yourself what it’s all about - which is the kids out there learning and growing while they compete. Decide that your words and actions will center around THAT.
▪️Regularly check in with your athlete.
— On their happiness. On their mental health. On what they need more or less of from you. The wins, the trophies and the MVP awards will never outweigh an athlete who is enjoying the sport, has a healthy mental well-being and feels supported . Check in with your athlete. And check in often.
▪️Practice your own self-care
— If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes the stress of day to day life can make us not show up as our best selves for our kids. It can make us impatient in the car rides with our athletes or unable to be present with them. We can let out that stress on the sidelines yelling at officials. We can get caught up in parent/team drama and politics. When we practice self-care to become more centered, not only can we be more present in the experience and being a more positive energy, but we set an example for our kids to care for themselves too.
Let’s commit to doing the work and ultimately creating a more healthy environment for our athletes.
Do you have one to add? Let’s hear it.
