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| Go, Team, Go! 5 Tips for Dads of Athletes by Larry J. Leech II
On the other hand, when they don’t enjoy the success we hope and pray for, we are there to help them through the tough times. Sadly, some parents resort to yelling at their children, at the coach and at anyone else who might have a hand with the team or organization. Hopefully, you aren’t one of those parents. As a parent of an athlete and a coach, I find these parents are not only a pain to deal with, but they certainly don’t exhibit the guidance and leadership a child needs. The tips below were gleaned from being involved, as a parent and a coach, with my son’s ice hockey career for the past five years. The sport is more than a hobby for him. He moved to Massachusetts two years ago, before his senior year in high school, to play Junior hockey, a type of college development program. Whether you are the dad of a serious athlete, one who has been pursuing the sport as a career path and not a hobby, or the dad of a child who plays a sport just for fun, the tips below should help. Be involved. Attend their games. I know we have to work, there may be business trips or extra work, but being at the game means more to them than you may realize. I remember coaching a tournament game a few years ago. One of our wingers leaned over to one of our top defensemen and whispered, “Your dad is here.” With tears in his eyes, the defenseman nodded and replied, “I know. I saw him come in a minute ago.” The defenseman was 18. So no matter the age, our children want us at their games. Let the coaches coach. With many pay-to-play sports (travel and all-stars teams) that are not connected with a high school, we expect our children to see playing time. That’s fair. When you are shelling out thousands of dollars, it is understandable that you want your child to play. And he or she should. But coaches don’t like to be nagged about playing time. Consider yourself blessed if you have a coach that is willing to talk to you. Some coaches are getting so fed up with parents that they will not talk to them. Encourage. We all want to see our children excel at whatever endeavor they choose. We want to yell from the stands to help them out, but don’t go overboard. Don’t step over the fine line and become critical of your child’s play. This is demoralizing. Your child may be able to hear you, even when you think he or she cannot. After a bad game, try to cheer your child up by taking him or her out for ice cream or dinner, or cheer your child up with whatever he or she enjoys. Don’t force. Don’t force your will on your children. Too many times parents will try to live vicariously through their children. This isn’t fair to the children – or the parents. Also, learn what your child needs to prepare for a game. Not all athletes need a pep talk. Some would rather just prepare on their own. If this is the case, don’t force a last-minute pep talk on them. Sometimes a simple “I love you” is all they need.Volunteer. With any sport, coaches need help. Not only would you be helping your child’s team, but you would be teaching him or her about giving of your time. Also, don’t expect any favors or extra playing time for your child because of your volunteer work. Larry J. Leech II has been a sports fanatic for more than 35 years. Although he had a dream job of being a sports writer starting at age 18, Larry’s greatest joys connected with sports have been helping his son pursue an ice hockey career. How do you effectively balance your career and being involved in your child's sporting events? | Top | Share Your Thoughts... Be the first to comment on this article! |
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Being the parent of an athlete can be very rewarding, yet mind numbingly frustrating at times. When our children succeed at sports, we want to shout from the mountaintops. We make phone calls to family members who couldn’t be there. We send e-mails to all our friends. We write about it in our blogs. We certainly don’t forget about their exploits in the annual Christmas letter.
