Originally aired in June 2020.

It’s a serious commitment to be a youth sports parent and it can be challenging, at times, to find the best way to support your child through their journey.

It takes time, money, and emotional energy to stand on the sidelines and provide healthy motivation at home, while leaving room for your child to grow and learn on their own. This week, author and speaker Alan Stein Jr. talks about parenting a young athlete.

It comes down to modeling the behaviors you want to see them learn and use in everyday life, he says. “I think every parent needs to get great clarity on why you want your children to play sports. And that’s not for me to answer for anyone. That’s for each and every parent to articulate,” says Stein.

Once you know why you want them to be there, you can develop the tools to help guide them. As parents, the unseen hours between games and practices, sometimes without our kids around, can be the most important for holistically improving ourselves and building the structures and frameworks to support our families.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Be realistic about the standards you’re setting

• Avoid coaching from the sidelines

• Practice meaningful repetition to improve

• Reinforce the behavior you want to see reflected

• Recognize the difference between preparation and performance