Being a good sports parent can be difficult. Some parents are too aggressive and lead their children to hate the sports that they used to love. You also have parents who are too passive, which can lead to their children becoming unfocused or disappointed in their own performance. Sports should be about fun, first and foremost, but every child will soon become frustrated if they can’t perform. This is why you need to find ways to make them better without pushing them too far. Here are some positive ways to help your child get better at sports.
Find Role Models
One of the first things you should do is look at the sport your child plays and their role as a player then find one or multiple professional or highly ranked amateur athletes they can identify with. Try to find documentaries about this person and watch them with your child. If they truly love their sport, they will be excited about the idea and will want to pattern themselves after the player.
You could try to find footage of the player teaching techniques or speaking about their work ethic. These are all things your child might internalize and use later on.
Get the Right Tools
If you want to take your child’s game to the next level, you need to be ready to invest in their development. This means investing in the best tools and equipment you can afford.
One sport where tools can make all the difference is baseball. If you want your child to improve their batting or pitching, start looking at things like batting cages, practice mounds, batting simulators, and radar guns, among others.
We know that these things can get expensive, but you can save money if you’re ready to downsize in certain areas. For instance, no one needs a pro-level radar gun when they could get a pocket gun instead. The pocket radar is very accurate and will calculate things such as pitching speed, serving speed, shot speed, and hitting power too. It can be used both for pitchers and hitters. So, look at this option if you want something efficient at a low cost.
Play and Learn with Them
Start playing with your child more often and learn how to become a better player with them. By showing your shortcomings and your readiness to improve, you will be able to relate to them on a whole other level and serve as an example. This might also change your perspective of the game and help you to have more realistic expectations of your child.
Be a Role Model
Be a role model for your child. If they see you actively playing sports and having fun, they will be more inclined to give it a try too. Don’t try and pressurize your child to take up a sport you love, as it might not be their thing, but let them try it and see if they enjoy it. Even if they don’t like the sport you love, there will be other sports they can take an interest in. You never know, this might be a chance for you to try something new and discover a new passion at the same time!
Enroll Them in a Bootcamp
There are many boot camps available across different sports, so you should check these out with your son or daughter. Google bootcamps in your area and look at online footage of them so you can get an idea of what you can expect. Look at the footage with your child to gauge their level of excitement and allow them to choose which boot camp they’ll like to attend.
Remember That You’re Not a Coach
Even if you have a lot of knowledge of the sport being played, you should focus on being a parent and not a coach. You can give your child advice on how to improve after a bad performance, but you should not volunteer this information. Only do so if they ask questions. It’s the coach’s job to critique a player’s performance, not yours, so don’t build anxiety in your child. And, if you’re going to say anything, make sure that it’s positive.
Be supportive at all times and respect their wishes if they try a sport and decide it isn’t for them. Just because they don’t enjoy baseball or soccer, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a sport out there for them. It might turn out they are better at track and field than team sports, or they show talent at swimming. Get on board with whatever they choose and nurture them gently instead of being a tiger parent.
These are all tips that will help your child improve in sports without leaving them feeling pressured. The most important thing is to let them be children and encourage them to play for the enjoyment of the sport.
