Parent's Role

Parents see things through adult eyes. They know that rejection is painful for them, so they think it must affect their children in the same way. This assumption can arouse a powerful protective instinct, leading some parents to threaten coaches and league officials, interrogate other families for evidence of discrimination, and foster an image of their child as a victim. Unfortunately, such parental behavior can have disastrous effects on a young person: a loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety, and a mounting pressure to excel which can lead him to quit sports altogether.

Punishing a child for poor grades by pulling him off a sports team so he can concentrate on his studies sends the wrong message.

It is no easy task to be a parent of a young athlete. Hard enough are the tasks of helping the child learn how to handle the ups and downs of competition. But perhaps most challenging are the demands on your own coping skills - learning how to manage emotions that are repeatedly tested under trying conditions...

Advice for parents from a mental health professional on helping children deal with the emotional pain of being cut from a sports team.

The last thing a child needs to hear is a parent criticizing their performance or giving coaching pointers. What they want most is unconditional support and encouragement, not criticism.

Children and teens are uncomfortable if parents listen to their music, wear their style of clothes, or use their slang or become over-involved with their school, friends or sports.  Here are some warning signs.

There are a number of reasons you might consider attending some of your child's practices in addition to his games. Watching your child practices gives you a chance to see how he is developing as a player and is an excellent way to let your child know that you care about his participation in sports and that every aspect is important, not just the games, not just whether his team wins or loses, or how he performs.

Being a parent of a young athlete is not easy. Helping your child handle the ups and downs of competition is hard enough. But most challenging is learning how to manage your own emotions.