“The Parent Effect” – How parents impact athletes
There are many studies on the positive and negative effects that parents have on their children as young athletes. However, the research stops once child athletes become collegiate or professional athletes. Parents of collegiate or professional athletes can actually have a greater impact on their children, and unfortunately, it’s usually in a negative way.
This negativity comes in the form of pressure and expectations. It can be the most dangerous form of negativity because it usually can’t be pinpointed when it’s happening. Often, athletes create the expectations that they “think” their parents have for them, and this creates negative pressure that parents can be unaware of.
Parents can also create additional pressure on their kids by agreeing that everything revolves around their sport. This is often the result of the athlete’s mindset and the parents are simply following suit. In fact, many athletes think that their sport defines them as a person. This creates the pressure to perform because in their mind without performance, who are they? This train of thought can lead to an overall lack of confidence and inconsistent play. Athletes need to understand their sport is what they do, not who they are. Their self worth extends beyond their sport and parents, coaches and the athletes themselves often forget that.
The so-called “Parent Effect” can also apply to coaches. Wherever the possibility of expectations exist, the negative ego has the capability to wreak havoc on the mind. So, what can parents and athletes do to dissolve “The Parent Effect?”
- Communicate - Be clear about the expectations. Neither the parent nor athlete should have them.
- Stay Positive – Athletes should not measure their success by wins, losses, points scored or time of play. Parents should understand this and not feed into their child’s negative ego.
- See the Bigger Picture – Parents and athletes need to understand that they are more than their sport. To promote this way of thinking, expand the conversation to more than just athletics.
- Remember the Success - Athletes and parents would be very surprised about how much the athlete forgets about the success they have had in their life. Use past successes to create current confidence as an athlete.
August 18, 2009
· 
admin · 
No Comments
Tags: performance coaching, positive attitude, positive thoughts, power of the mind · Posted in: Athlete Performance
Leave a Reply