04/12/2022
Parents: Your actions at your youth athlete’s events play a vital role in who they become as an athlete.
Are you overbearing? Are you constantly fighting the refs? Begging coaches to play your kid? Interfering with games or practices?
Or
Are you supporting your athlete by allowing them to have room to grow? Are you supporting the coach and their decisions about playing time? Are you being a fan expressing your emotions, but still allowing the refs to direct the game? Are you having intentional conversations with your kids about where can they are excelling and where they can improve?
What is it that you are learning to pass on to future generations? In many ways, I still struggle with these myself at times. Especially at times where I must switch from parent to instructor with my kids. However, I was honored to be told recently that I was allowed to present my son’s 4th stripe to him. The man looking down on us is the instructor for everyone in my family. He graciously offered me the opportunity to do this.
This boy has worked his butt off for over a year to get to this point. Where he was when he started and where he is now are vastly different. It hasn’t been an easy or simple road, and yes we still have a ways to go, but I am proud of him. For me, it has been important that he knows that I am doing the same thing that he is. That I am also learning and learning. I just hope that I can continue to learn so that I can continue to teach and support him as well.
