How Your Athletes Benefit When You Support Their Coach
A parent asks a very thoughtful question: “What are the coaches thinking and how do I access this information, not to aide my child, but to become a better parent/coach/cheerleader/technician?”
Truth is, if you want to understand what your coaches are thinking and hope to become a better parent/coach/cheerleader/technician, you are going to help your sports kids.
That’s because your kids will feel more confident knowing that you’re 100% behind their coaches. They’ll enjoy sports more and perform better.
Look at it this way: If you criticize the coaches and tell your young athletes that the coaches don’t know what they’re doing, your sports kids won’t feel very confident about their sports experience.
They may second-guess the coaches, challenge the coaches, or worry that the coaches are doing something wrong.
Coaches play critical roles in the lives of young athletes. A good coach will inspire your kids to embrace teamwork, sportsmanship and discipline and to communicate better.
These are all important qualities that benefit kids in sports and life. You need to choose your kids’ coaches carefully, communicate well with them and support them.
First of all, if you’re wondering what coaches are thinking, you need to practice some communication skills yourself.
Don’t try to talk to coaches after games; they’re generally busy with the kids at that time. Instead, call or email and ask for a time to talk to them. Be sure to tell the coaches what you think they’re doing well.
However, if you have questions, be sure to communicate them. You might say something like, “What can my kids do to improve their skills?” or, “Can you tell me more about your goals for the team and the kids?”
As for supporting coaches, ask them what you can do to help. This is where the technician and cheerleader roles may come in. You may be needed to help keep score, to bring snacks, or to help organize team meetings.
Again, keep in mind that the more you trust and support your kids’ coaches, the better experience your kids will have in sports—assuming the coaches are good coaches.
Your young athletes will feel more confident, more trusting of their coaches, and more excited about sports.
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- Parent: How to Support your Female Athlete
- Building Confidence With Supportive Communication
- The Value of Kids Learning to Support Teammates [Podcast]
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!
Every day, we receive letters from parents like you who want their children and teens to excel in sports. However, these parents can see fear, doubt, and frustration on the faces of their kids who struggle with the “inner” game of sports. But these parents have no idea how to help their kids overcome the worries, expectations and self-defeating thoughts that prevent their young athletes from feeling confident and successful.
You can benefit from our 15-plus years’ of work in sports psychology and sports parenting research. Now, you can tap into our secrets to sports success through a cutting-edge, 14-day program that helps young athletes overcome the top “mental game” challenges that sports parents face—and the top challenges young athletes face.