“In order to protect their future, we must stop protecting their ‘now’. We must stop protecting them from uncomfortable and necessary growth.” –Whitney Ballard
As parents, we often have the best of intentions when it comes to our kids’ success, especially in sports. We want them to excel, we want them to be the best, and we want to do everything we can to help them achieve their goals. But here’s the truth: there comes a point when we, as parents, need to step back and let the coaches take the reins.
While it may feel natural to offer advice after games or practices, sometimes we forget that there is a whole world our student-athletes experience that we don’t fully understand. We’re not in their practices every day. We aren’t there to manage the dynamics between teammates or navigate the intricacies of team relationships. Our children want less of our analysis of their performance and more of our support and encouragement.
The quote above speaks to the crucial lesson that both success and failure are integral parts of growth. We don’t need to step in and coach our children; they already have coaches for that. Instead, we need to believe in them wholeheartedly and offer them the confidence and support to thrive. Our role is to empower them to trust their coaches, their teammates, and themselves. Our faith in their abilities will help them believe in their own potential.
In the end, it’s crucial that we stay in our lane as parents. We need to support our children, encourage them to do their best, and remind them that we’re proud of their effort, win or lose. Trust the coaches to do their job and remember that your role is to be the emotional anchor for your child, not their coach.
By stepping back and giving them space to grow, we allow them to develop their own resilience, face challenges head-on, and learn how to navigate both the highs and lows of their athletic journey. Our belief in them as individuals is the foundation of their confidence and success.
In the end, our belief in them must extend to the fact that they will fail at some point and have the ability to overcome that failure. It’s through those moments of defeat that they build the character that will ultimately lead to their victories in life.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog and want to dive deeper into understanding motivation and personal growth, check out my book, Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes. It provides valuable insights into the recruiting process and how athletes can take control of their journey.
Families and school administrators can also schedule a strategy session with me. Together, we can uncover what truly motivates you and develop a game plan for long-term success.
