Expanding the Reach for Mental Wellness for Better Performance in Sport & Life
Athletes can give up playing sports easily without the proper motivation and encouragement. They deal with a lot of stress on the field trying to please the fans, the coach and, most of all, their parents. If they feel that they cannot win or improve, children may give up or convince their parents that they no longer like a particular game. Peer pressure can also play a factor if they start to develop friendships with other kids who don’t play sports and have a lot more free time or friends who think playing sports is silly or pointless.
Talk
Talk to your athletes before each game or season about what they want to accomplish. Your goals might be a bit far-reaching as a parent, and the potential you see in them might take longer to reach than your predictions. Your children know a little better about what they can do now and what might be possible
Watch
Watch for them to be too hard on themselves. If this happens, help your kids work through what they did wrong without being critical. Also point out some things they did right, so that they see it wasn’t all negative.
Be Positive
Be positive. Do not show that you are upset with them for the way they played in a particular game. Everyone can have an off day. If it keeps occurring, set a practice session with the coach or someone at a higher skill level to help without being condemning or critical.
Be Proud
Make sure they understand that you’re proud of them when they do their best. Winning, of course, is always good, but if they did all that they could do, that is enough. All athletes lose on occasion, even really talented ones. Make your children understand that if they are playing equally good athletes, sometimes they will loose. The best thing to do is study what the other team did and what their team did to learn and improve.
Get Involved
Get involved. Whatever skills they need to practice, whether it be kicking, hitting, throwing or something else, work with them in a fun manner. Set up some games in the backyard based on their skills and play. Show your children that you care about what they do. Congratulate them when they do something right and point out what they do wrong in a noncritical way. Point out what you do wrong as well, so they see that everyone makes errors.
Expand the Reach is a web based resource for coaches, athletes of all levels, parents and community organizations to support Mental Wellness, and early intervention for better performance in sport & life.