A Guide to Sports Opportunities for Parents and Coaches

Introduction

Remember the Karate Kid quote that goes, “There is no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher”? Well, it’s absolutely spot on. This applies especially to parents and coaches who deal with kids and teens actively involved in youth sports. While they are great opportunities for learning and shaping children as individuals for the future, some mentors put too much pressure on them and take away all the benefits. 

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Participating in youth team sports in Texas like baseball offers opportunities for growth like no other. Kids learn a whole new value system through these activities, and the right push from their parents and coaches can mold them into admirable personalities. TeamPlayr offers an extensive guide to youth sports opportunities in Texas and some essential dos and don’ts that every parent and coach must know.

Positive sports parent behavior

A ‘sports parent’ could be both a kid’s biological parent as well as their coaches on the field who guide them through the process. Either way, these individuals carry the responsibility of how kids perceive sport and they can make it fun and nurturing for them or take the wrong turn. Let’s find out why it is important to establish and reinforce positive behavior as a parent or a mentor and how it helps the little ones become better at who they are. 

Benefits

Winning and losing are two of the most important parts of all our lives and how we deal with both often determines who we are. Getting your kids involved in team sports like youth soccer is a step in the right direction toward teaching them how to face both victory and defeat. But the benefits don’t just stop with the kids; they extend to the parents as well, since it’s never too late to learn. 

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Sports like rec and club soccer offer opportunities for parents and coaches to improve in various areas like time management, social skills, interpersonal communication, networking with other parents, and even personal involvement in physical activities. When your child notices that you are fully involved in their sport as much as they are, they feel validated and hope to continue playing for longer with an added sense of enthusiasm.

What you can do

As a parent or a sports coach working individually with a child in youth sports, the ball is truly in your court. The first step is to do some self-introspection and identify what kind of mentor figure you are and how you can make a positive impact. For example, some parents who are over-involved need to take a step back and trust their kids enough to let them do their thing. On the other hand, some mentors are a little too detached, showing insufficient praise for their children’s efforts, consequently bringing down their morale.

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It’s important to let your child know that you care about their involvement in youth sports activities by setting them up with ample opportunities, signing them up for local clubs and competitions, showing up at drill sessions, and creating a balanced schedule for their playing and studying time. Meanwhile, coaches must act as their guardians on the field and treat them as equals with respect for their game.

Considering your child’s interests

When it comes to opportunities for kids and teens in youth sports, it’s always important to push personal interests to the end of the queue. Parents often make the mistake of not considering their child’s interests in a particular sport. In such cases, kids easily lose interest and start feeling detached from the activity as well as their team members.

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Even if they do seem interested in a particular sport, properly estimating their potential as an athlete is a healthy and essential practice. Not doing so can place unrealistic expectations on children, like putting them on a path to becoming full-time pros in a sport that is a mismatch with their true sporting abilities or interests.

Potential negative impacts to avoid

As mentioned before, a mentor figure can either make or break a growing athlete’s mindset and personality. One of the most common mistakes made by older people is to try and relive their glory days or force their kids into achieving their dreams on their behalf. Parents who force their children to achieve more than they are capable of can send them into a downward spiral.

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Moreover, parents and coaches should watch how they behave and react around kids and teenagers, especially in stressful situations during a game. Children mirror their role models and it’s crucial to keep up sportsman-like conduct on the field and demonstrate how to treat opponents with respect. On the other hand, some parents refuse to accept that their kids are growing adults who need to be let go and trusted to survive on their own.

How parents and coaches can work together

A child, a parent, and a coach are a sacred three-way relationship in any youth sports activity. A parent is a young athlete’s first coach and their coach is their parental personality on the field. Kids get along just fine with both sets of mentors, but there are situations where parents don’t get along with coaches due to differences of opinion. Here are some essential pointers to keep in mind:

• Parents and coaches should not hold any grudges against each other. They should communicate freely and be open about their thoughts and ideas to improve their kids’ game. 
• Coaches should be ready to work with parents to identify each kid’s individual needs and issues so that they can resolve them with ease. Together, they can set goals that are realistic enough to achieve.
• Learn to respect the rules of the game and be professional at all times. Parents should not be biased just because it’s their child who’s playing, nor should coaches have personal preferences for the better players on the team. 

Conclusion

The bottom line is that youth sports come with a world of new opportunities to learn and evolve for both parents and coaches. Most importantly, the lessons learned during these formative years are going to last a lifetime in your kids’ minds. Among all the other benefits, parents can use sports opportunities to be the role models in real-time that they’ve always wanted to be for their children. As a responsible parent, you can start right away and contact TeamPlayr now to enroll your child in a team sport like soccer or baseball and find the best coaches for your kids who can help them grow!