Parenting: Dos for Sport Parents
Youth sports participation is now a ubiquitous part of our achievement culture. Though not unheard of, it is rare to find children who are not actively involved in some sport 12 months a year. Whether team sports, such as soccer, baseball/softball, or football, or individual sports, such as tennis, swimming, or golf, it’s likely that your children are involved in youth sports for reasons ranging from fun and physical activity to dreams of Olympic or professional sports greatness. If your children aren’t playing sports, but rather are involved in the performing arts, chess, or some other extracurricular achievement activity, this Prime Family Alert! newsletter can apply equally well to you. And this newsletter's value to the involvement that parents have in their children's academic lives will easily be seen by educators and parents alike. Youth sports are a wonderful avenue for your children’s enjoyment, physical health, mastery of skills, learning essential life lessons, pursuit of goals, and hopefully adoption of a lifelong sport. Unfortunately, they can also be a source of pressure, stress, social comparison, disappointment, and harm to your children’s personal development. Which road your children get on depends largely on the attitudes you hold and the quality of your involvement in their sports participation. It’s never too early or too late to ensure that the role you play in your children’s sports will maximize the benefits they gain and minimize the damage that can come from their athletic involvement. You need to get yourself mentally and emotionally ready for the rollercoaster that is youth sports. Many past issues of Prime Family Alert! have offered you insights that can help you navigate the rough waters of your children’s achievement activities, including sports. But, knowing many sports parents, what you really want are clear guidelines of what you should and shouldn’t do with your athlete-children. In this issue of Prime Family Alert!, I will describe what I believe you should do with yourself, other parents, coaches, and your children to win the Sport Parent of the Year award (or at least make it through this sports season without driving yourself and your children crazy!).
Read MoreParenting: Research on Praise and Bright Kids
I’ve written about this issue and the research described, but I thought the take on this article from the Harvard Business Review was worth sharing. Harvard Business Review November 21, 2011, 6:53 PM EST The Trouble With Bright Kids Chances are, if you’re a successful professional today, you were a pretty bright fifth-grader By Heidi Grant Halvorson […]
Read MorePersonal Growth: Life Inertia: Like an Asteroid Hurtling Through Space
Sir Isaac Newton proposed his First Law of Motion, the Law of Inertia, in 1687: A body at rest tends to remain at rest. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. Bodies will continue in their current state, whether at rest or in motion, unless acted on by a greater outside force. Three hundred and […]
Read MoreSki Racing: Red Flags for Over-invested Parents
One of your most essential goals in your children’s lives as ski racers is to have them gain ownership of their participation. They need to feel that ski racing is their thing. But ownership isn’t just something that they can gain on their own. Rather, it is a gift you give them that offers so […]
Read MoreLatest News: Taylor’s New Website Redesign
I’m pleased to announce the launch of my new website redesign: more dynamic and visually compelling, better navigation, more information, free access to about 98% of everything I’ve ever written (including book chapters, newsletters, articles, and blogs), contact me with ease, purchase my books online.
Read MoreSki Racing: Chill Out: Psych-down Techniques
It’s natural to feel some increase in your intensity before a race. You’re putting yourself to the test and want to ski your best. That increase in intensity means that your body is gearing up for the challenge. But when that rise in intensity turns to anxiety that can hurt your skiing, then you’ve got […]
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