Some children show extraordinary talent in sports right from when they are very young. Some fade away and stop playing as they grow up, while others excel and joining big leagues. They even earn money while at it. If you have seen some excelling in sports, you may wonder how you can help your child who has shown some interest in sports excel. Here are some ways you can nurture them to become sports stars.
Foster Independence
Be involved as much as you can in your children’s sports; however, it would be best to foster autonomy and independence and let the children do something by themselves. You may set boundaries on what they can or cannot do, but you should give them freedom within your boundaries to work on some issues without your help. For instance, you may drive them to sports venues but let them know they have to remind you of the sports dates before for proper planning and preparation.
Allow Them to Play at Their Age Level
You may want your child to excel so much in sports that you forget you are pushing too hard. Do not throw them at levels they cannot play because you will stunt their development. Children need time and opportunity to work on their skills at their pace so they can grow. There is a particular skill set for each age group; therefore, if you want your child to excel more at the sport, ensure they are enrolled in age-appropriate levels.
Encourage Practice
The only way your child can improve their performance is by practicing. Apart from engaging in deliberate practice where the play is structured and a coach leads the practice, you can also encourage them to be involved in the less structured and informal games, which focus more on the fun. Your child should also sample multiple sports so that they are not only confined in one while they could excel in several. As they practice, they can also read more about their sport to be more familiar with it. For instance, if your child loves basketball, you could download a baseball swing app on your phone where he will watch all the ins and outs of the game and gain more knowledge about the sport.
Allow Them Time to be Emotional
After terrible games, children need time to be emotional, and you do not have to improve their sport by starting coaching almost immediately. Your child may feel sad, frustrated, and embarrassed because of not winning, but you need to encourage them they do not have to win all the time. Allow their emotions to run their course and talk about it after a day or two to give them time to process emotion and open up to you about future improvement.
Communicate and Support Goals
There are many reasons your child may be interested in sports. They may do it just for fun and want to take part in a game without having higher aspirations. Others may want to reach high levels, big leagues, and excel in national sports. With this, allow your children to decide what they want and their goals. If they wish to play for fun or for high levels, support their goals and not impose your own. Communicate with them every year and find out what has changed and what has not. This way, you will all be on the same page, and they will feel supported and encouraged.
Provide Emotional Support
As a parent, it is your responsibility to provide unconditional love to your children, especially during bad days, stressful moments, and challenging situations. They depend on you for all kinds of support, including emotional support, and they need to know that they can turn to you any time. Whether your child wins or doesn’t, it should not matter; always be there for them.
Be Realistic About Time Commitments
Exerting too much pressure on your child or if they are unprepared for the time commitment needed for sports participation, your child may suffer burnout, and they will feel smothered. Your child should understand how to commit their time to sports before joining any team or big leagues.
Final Thought
If your child excels in sports, they must have a natural ability and show the desire to take part in the sport they like. However, helping your child is not all about doing what they want. As a parent, you must be involved in the sports and help them push towards achieving their goals, to give your children the best chance to enjoy and succeed in their sport; consider these seven points.
