7 Tips to Support Your Youth Athlete 1. Whatever role you decide is best, whether coaching or cheering, remember the human aspect of the sport : the player and the coach are human, therefore imperfect.
4. Encourage and support your child with words of wisdom, backyard practices and a smile from the sideline. 5. Learn when your child needs nudging to improve versus understanding when they have met their limit. 6. During a game, let the sideline instruction come from the coach . As a parent, encourage your athlete from the sideline with encouraging language that will incite hard work and focus. Come up with short, specific words or phrases to use during a game that will encourage and support your child to remember to work hard and try their best. Words like “hustle,” “move your feet,” “keep working” or any phrase specific to their sport will remind them of their job on the team. Do not use discouraging words or new phrases during a game that your player will not understand as this can cause frustration. 7. Remember if your child is playing a team sport, the team is made of individual players who work together to win. Encourage your child to play the sport in a way that benefits the team , not their individual statistics.
2. If you aren’t coaching yourself, seek a coach who has similar values as your family , who will encourage your child to grow and work with others and who prioritizes collaboration and team success over individual accolades. Unfortunately, this might not happen on your first attempt as good coaches can be hard to find. Don’t get discouraged if you have to switch teams several times before finding the right fit for your athlete. Once you get on a supportive team, hold on to that support group for as long as you can. Your child will form lasting relationships that will endure for years. 3. Support the coach with encouraging words, kind advice and helpful actions. Your child’s coach may be a seasoned professional or new to the position and he or she will see the team, including your child’s progress, differently than you. Be willing and available to discuss your child’s position on the team or any concerns you may have with the coach during the appropriate time, which is typically before or after a practice or via a phone call, text or email.
MV_PrintAds_MFM_BleedMarks.pdf 6 1/19/21 2:08 PM Rebekah Mack is the mother of four children, a registered nurse, co-owner with her husband of Anytime Fitness in Edmond and lover of all sports. She has volunteered for many years as coach of her children’s basketball and soccer teams.
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Tadasky (Tadasuke Kuwayama) (American, born Japan 1935 ) C- 1 8 2 (detail), 19 6 5 , Acrylic on canvas, 5 6 x 5 6 in. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Museum purchase with funds from the Beaux Arts Society Fund for Acquisitions and the Pauline Morrison Ledbetter Collections Endowment, 201 6. 0 6 4 © Tadasuke Kuwayama
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