How to help your child have the best experience.

There are many stressors present in sports that impact both athletes and parents. In many instances athletes are afraid of disappointing themselves, parents, coaches, and peers. Talk about pressure! In Psychology Today, J. Taylor, PhD states that this pressure and anxiety can cause some athletes to have challenges with performance, emotions, behaviors, and physical and psychological wellbeing.  Navigating these emotions and pressure is tough even for adults and can be even more difficult for young athletes. (Taylor, 2018) Learning the appropriate responses and recognizing when we should step back and let our athletes handle things on their own is critical to their development and success.

As parents of athletes, we are trying to navigate our own stressors when watching our athletes perform.  Fortunately, there are coping mechanisms that can be used to handle these stressors and ensure that as parents we are helping our children have the best athletic experience possible.  So, what can we do?

1. We can breathe! Deep breathing exercises can be done anywhere.
2. We can have our own activities! While it is important for us to support our athletes, that should not be our sole focus.
3. We can phone a friend! Having someone available to help us navigate our emotions, assist with transportation, and remind us when we get a little too excited!
4. We can monitor our emotions! Our emotions can be contagious.  Sometimes we need to tell our athletes that we love them and then support them from afar (the stands, not the sidelines).
5. We can remind ourselves that the journey is just as important, if not more important, than the outcome. (Taylor, 2018)

Weekly games and celebrations of sporting milestones are an important part of our relationship with our athletes. However, these events are made even sweeter when you have the tools to healthily be a part of your child’s athletics and they know that you support them no matter the competition’s outcome.

By: Aimee Carrasco LPC

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References

Taylor, Dr. J. (2018, Dec. 3) Sports Parents, We Have a Problem. Psychology Today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201812/sports-parents-we-have-problem

Aimee graduated from Midwestern State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2001 and a Master of Education/Counseling in 2004. In 2019, Aimee became a licensed professional counselor in the State of Texas and is currently pursuing a PhD in Developmental Education. Aimee has spent the majority of her professional career working as a licensed professional counselor and a licensed school counselor as well as working in roles that support the wellness of the military community. Aimee believes that mental and physical health are fundamental to today’s society as people become more aware of the importance of taking care of themselves. She is passionate about working in an environment with opportunities to support individuals as they work towards goals and implementing positive changes in their lives. Aimee attributes her expertise to her experience and knowledge from being a mom of two little boys with special needs, a veteran, and spouse of a retired Green Beret. These relationships and experiences, that she feels fortunate enough to have, taught her even more about the symbiotic relationship between our mental health and physical health. Aimee understands that people work through problems in different ways, which is why she uses an individualized approach to counseling and performance consulting. “I will work with you to determine the approach that will be the most beneficial for you”, she states. Change and healing can be difficult but not impossible. With the right support and the willingness to commit to growth, you can make the changes that you want to make.