It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been back on snow working with racers since October 16th and that rollercoaster called another winter of ski racing is well underway. Racers aren’t only members of the ski racing community who experience the intense ups and downs of our sport; their parents do too.
The fact is that it’s hard being a ski racing parent. You invest your heart, soul, and a whole lot of money so your children can have a great experience in their ski racing and, let’s be realistic, have as much success as possible. This kind of investment of emotions, time, and money can cause some parents to go to the “dark side” and become albatrosses around their children’s necks rather than the wind beneath their wings.
Your goal is to be a source of support, confidence, and comfort to your children as they experience the inevitable highs and lows that a part of ski racing. During the course of this winter, I will share with you some ideas I have about what it takes to be a good ski racing parent. But, to get you off to a good start, I would like to offer you a “refresher course” on being the best ski racing parent you can be. To that end, I’ve attached links to my articles from past years:
1. Set healthy expectations and goals that focus on fun, effort, and long-term development.
2. Know what your and your children’s a responsibilities are and make sure you’re doing your job and not theirs.
3. Ensure that your young racers strive for excellence rather than perfection.
4. Allow your children to fail, so they will learn from it and not fear it.
5. Put your children in situations in which they will feel challenged not overmatched.
6. Praise your children in ways that will foster real self-esteem and confidence.
7. Raise children who are “successful achievers,” meaning they have self-esteem, ownership, and emotional mastery.
8. Regardless of whether your children are so-called gifted or not, always focus on their effort.
9. Be sensitive to how success impacts your young racers.
10. Allow your children to experience disappointment and other less-pleasant emotions.
Now get out there and be the best ski racing parent you can be. Your children will thank you for it.
