Having an athletic child can make you feel proud as a parent. It can be so rewarding to see your child succeed and build confidence.
If your child is especially athletic, you can cheer them on as they score a touchdown, win a match, or hit a home run, and see a tangible victory for someone you love.
However, there are times when your child is not performing to their utmost potential, and you notice as a parent. Perhaps your child is unmotivated or is nervous about an upcoming sporting event. If you or your child has a problem with shaking when they are nervous, try reading this article at BetterHelp.
When a young athlete exhibits signs of disinterest, stress, or general burnout, it might be important to encourage them to keep working hard if they would like to continue competing in their sport. However, no matter how athletic the child, some children may still want to quit, take a break, or need physical recovery time, which can also be important.
Sometimes, parents have a difficult time motivating their children without seeming controlling and pushy. This article could provide you with some great ideas of how to encourage your athletic child.
Tips and Tricks
Instead of pressuring your child to perform well and pushing them away, try these tactics instead:
Ask Your Child Questions
- By asking questions, you are showing that you are interested in their sport. Asking questions may get your child talking about their feelings about the sport and the goals they have.
- One example of a question you could ask might be: What did Coach have you do at practice today?
Volunteer to Help Your Child’s Team
- Helping out with coaching or other responsibilities can help you actively show your child that you care about their team and believe that playing this sport is worthwhile. This can help your child feel as if they should be working hard to perform well.
Congratulate Your Child when Appropriate
- When your child does something well, make sure you praise them. By giving your child praise, you are positively reinforcing their behavior and they will be much more likely to act in the same way in the future.
Love Your Child No Matter How Well They Play
- It does not matter if your child performs extremely well or poorly, you must display your love unconditionally.
- Especially after a bad game, your child needs the support of a parent to cheer them up so they are ready for the next game. Striking a balance between encouraging your child to try hard and understanding their own physical and mental limitations can be a good goal.
Attend Every Game, Match, or Race You Can
- Physically attending your child’s events is extremely important. While parents have other obligations or other children that may prohibit them from being at every game, try to make a strong effort to attend games and treat siblings’ activities equally.
- Your child will appreciate your presence in the long run, even if it doesn’t seem like they care at the time, and they will carry that feeling of being loved and paid attention to into adulthood.
Encourage Your Child to Learn
- Help your child learn which techniques will help them perform best. It is quite helpful to encourage a “guess and check” mentality, where the child can brainstorm new ideas for improvement and then test them out.
It may be difficult to encourage your athletic child without being pushy, but hopefully, the techniques listed above will help! Go easy on yourself, since parenting looks different for everyone, and try to truly listen and understand what children tell you about their sports and other aspects of their lives.
