3 Questions For All Youth Sports Parents

It's very easy to get caught up with trying to 'keep up with the Joneses' in youth sports.  At ridiculously earlier ages, we are pushing our kids to specialize in one sport in a rat race to nowhere, even to the detriment of what's best from and physical and mental standpoint for our young athletes.  

The world of youth sports can be confusing, complicated and an emotional roller coaster for athletes and parents if you let it.  My recommendation for any parent getting lost in the struggle of what to do with their young athlete is to be lead by 3 questions:

1 - Is your athlete having fun?

2 - Is your athlete getting better?

3 - Is your athlete doing the best that they can?

Is Your Athlete Having Fun

We overthink and over-analyze this sports thing.  We play sports to stay in shape, have fun, and compete.  Fun and enjoyment and joy should drive their attendance at an early age while building up a healthy level of competition. 

Of course, I would love for little Johnny to be the next LeBron James or little Lexa to be the next Serena Williams, but at some point, our kids will be done playing and what will they be and how will they look at sports when it's all over?  Create an environment of joy and happiness early to keep them engaged, to keep them coming back, and to create lifelong sports fans.  Make sure they are having fun now to create a solid foundation for the future.

Is Your Athlete Getting Better

It's important that we as parents put our kids in a position to grow and develop at an appropriate rate so that when they do get older and sports get more competitive, they are well-rounded athletes who are ready to compete at the highest level.  Make sure that your kid is with a coach who cares, who is knowledgeable about their sport, and who has a plan and a vision for how they can grow your athlete.

There are only a few things worse than the 10-year-old basketball player whose coach sticks her in the post because she's the tallest pre-teen in the league.  What happens if that kid never grows anymore and finds herself as a post stuck in a short guard's body in high school? 

Having fun is important, but make sure that there is learning, growth, and development happening for your athlete so that they are ready to compete when it gets serious when they get older.

Is Your Athlete Doing The Best They Can

Aside from being fun and the health and social benefits, sports provide a way for you to learn life lessons such as work ethic, growth mindset, and leadership.  One thing that I preach to my kids is going out and doing their best every day in practice and games.  Building successful habits in all walks of life are important.  We tell our athletes that we won't always win and we won't always be the best, but we will always give our best.

In this entitlement era where people are always arguing whether we should give participation trophies or not, it's up to the parent to make sure that the child is getting the message that the real trophy comes from knowing that you did your best and that you got better.  Whether your best result in the city championship or just constant improvement over the course of a losing season, building this habit of growth mindset and competing to get better will serve our athletes well for the rest of your lives.

You won't always be the best, but you can be your best.  Have fun, enjoy the journey, and don't over-complicate this sports thing!