Episode #29: Don’ts for Sport Parents of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the last of five episodes in which I’m exploring the Dos and Don’ts of Sport Parenting, in other words, what sport parents should and shouldn’t do with themselves, other parents, coaches, and their children. This episode focuses on what parents shouldn’t do with themselves, coaches, other parents, and their children. 

As a general rule, I much prefer to focus on the positives of behavior, so I always emphasize what parents can do to help their young athletes achieve their goals and have great experiences in their sport. At the same time, the reality is that many parents don’t always do the right thing for their children (despite the best of intentions). In these cases, I’ve found it helpful to also describe what I consider to be the wrong things to do because it creates awareness and acts as a boundary of what is healthy and unhealthy behavior for sport parents. I have provided below what I believe you don’t want to do with yourself, other parents, coaches, and especially your young athletes.

To learn more, please listen to Episode #29: Don’ts for Sport Parents of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #28: Do with Your Children of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the fourth of five episodes in which I’m exploring the Dos and Don’ts of Sport Parenting, in other words, what sport parents should and shouldn’t do with themselves, other parents, coaches, and their children. 

What you do with, for, and to your children matters a lot. Though you can certainly influence your children by what you do with yourself, other parents, and their coaches, the most impact you can have comes from your direct interaction with them. To that end, I offer some recommendations on what you can do for your children that will help them to enjoy their sport the most, find the most success they can, and get the most out of their athletic experiences.

To learn more, please listen to Episode #28: Do with Your Children of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #27: Do with Coaches of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the third of five episodes in which I’m exploring the Dos and Don’ts of Sport Parenting, in other words, what sport parents should and shouldn’t do with themselves, other parents, coaches, and their children. 

The coaches of your young athletes have a huge impact on them in so many ways, both related and unrelated to their sports participation. Coaches affect your children physically, psychologically, emotionally, and socially. Given the breadth of this influence, you want to make sure they are your allies in helping your children achieve their athletic goals. If any conflict, discomfort, or tension exists between you and their coaches, your young athletes will certainly sense it and it will interfere with their enjoyment, performance, and progress in their sport. When you and their coaches stand shoulder to shoulder in support of your young athletes, your children will likely experience enjoyment and success in their sport and in the game of life.

To learn more, please listen to Episode #27: Do with Coaches of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #26: Do with Other Parents of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the second of five episodes in which I’m exploring the Dos and Don’ts of Sport Parenting, in other words, what sport parents should and shouldn’t do with themselves, other parents, coaches, and their children. 

When you sign your children up for a sport, they’re not the only ones making a commitment. Instead, you also signing yourself up for a commitment of time, energy, and money. In doing so, you are joining a club of its own comprised of other sport parents. Aside from school, your children’s athletic lives can become the focal point of your family’s lives and a nexus of your own social world.

To learn more, please listen to Episode #26: Do with Other Parents of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #25: Do for Yourself of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the first of five episodes in which I’m exploring the Dos and Don’ts of Sport Parenting, in other words, what sport parents should and shouldn’t do with themselves, other parents, coaches, and their children. The topic of today’s podcast is: Dos for Yourself.

Being a sport parent is no small feat and it’s certainly a much bigger job than just being a parent. Above and beyond all the basics of parenting, including clothing, feeding, loving, supporting (materially and emotionally), and educating your children, as a sport parent, you must also pay for your children’s sport, ensure they have the proper gear, get them to practices and competitions, volunteer your time, and don’t forget helping them through the emotional rollercoaster that is youth sports. And those responsibilities don’t even take into account the toll that being a sport parent takes on you, financially, emotionally, its impact on your marriage, the opportunity costs it incurs on yourself and your family, and in terms of your own needs and interests.

To learn more, please listen to Episode #25: Do for Yourself of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #24:  5 Rules of Messaging of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the last of five episodes in which I explore the importance of messages in raising healthy young athletes and people. This episode introduces you to my five rules of messaging that will maximize the power of the messages you send your children in their sports lives.  

To learn more, please listen to Episode #24:  5 Rules of Messaging of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #23: Message Blockers of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the fourth of five episodes in which I explore the importance of messages in raising healthy young athletes and people. This episode introduces you to nine “message blockers” that can prevent your healthy messages from getting through to your young athletes. Being aware of these message blockers, you can take active steps to reduce their influence, thereby increasing the chances that your messages will get through to your children. 

To learn more, please listen to Episode #23: Message Blockers of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #22: Message Conduits of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the third of five episodes in which I explore the importance of messages in raising healthy young athletes and people. This episode  introduces you to five “message conduits,” that is, the different ways in which you can send messages to your children related to their sports lives. Using these message conduits, you can identify the messages you want to send and then communicate the messages through one or more of the conduits I describe.

To learn more, please listen to Episode #22: Message Conduits of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #21: Send the Right Messages to Your Young Athletes of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the second of five episodes in which I explore the importance of messages in raising healthy young athletes and people. This episode  introduces you to how messages influence young athletes, the essential value of early positive messaging, how you can lay the foundation of healthy messaging, and the key messages you want your children to get and to avoid.

To learn more, please listen to Episode #21: Send the Right Messages to Your Young Athletes of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.

Episode #20-Children Become the Messages They Get the Most of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the first of five episodes in which I’ll explore the importance of messages in raising healthy young athletes and people. This episode will introduce you to the power of messages, where messages come from, and the types of messages that your children receive from their parents, teammates, coaches, and the broader youth sports culture.

To learn more, please listen to Episode #20-Children Become the Messages They Get the Most of my Raising Young Athletes podcast.