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8 Tips for Being a Great Sports Parent

By James Leath, 11/16/15, 12:30PM MST

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“When did parenting get to be so stressful?”

Redefining Success: 8 Tips for Being a Great Sports Parent

“When did parenting get to be so stressful?” began a recent post on the Changing the Game Project Facebook page. “I worry that if I don’t provide them with the best equipment, or get them on the best team, or take them to every camp or tournament, then I am letting my kids down. Why do I feel so much pressure? Can’t we just let kids be kids, have some free time and still raise a successful athlete?”

Have you ever felt this way? Tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses, stressed that your kids need to be in three places at once, and just hoping for a weekend off for a family meal?

If so, you are not alone. There is a lot of pressure on parents these days. We want the best for our children and we don’t think twice about taking action when we see we’re able to fill a need. But are we doing enough? Are we giving our kids the best chance of success?

It’s enough to drive you nuts.

But what if you could do more, simply by doing less?

Well, you can.

At Changing the Game Project we believe being a successful sports parent has nothing to do with who buys the more expensive equipment. Success is not who compiles the longer list of camps and clinics, whose kid makes the “A” team at the youngest age, or who posts the most pictures of kids with trophies on Facebook.

Our definition of success is taken from the master himself, Coach John Wooden, when describing his athletes and teams at UCLA:

“Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

Shouldn’t we have a similar definition for parents?

“Successful parenting is the piece of mind in knowing that you did your absolute best to become the best parent you are capable of becoming.”

Not the best parent compared to so and so, but you, the best parent you can be with the talents and resources that you have.

Be the best parent that you are capable of becoming, with all you have going on in your life.

You don’t have to do everything under the sun for your kids to be a successful parent. You don’t have to give up every weekend and every vacation. It doesn’t mean you have to get a second mortgage to send your kids to six camps next summer.  And it certainly does not mean that what team your kid makes, or how many trophies he or she wins is a reflection upon whether you are a good parent or not.

It simply means doing your best, maintaining family balance, and watching your child succeed and fail without taking it personally.

It doesn’t mean paying for more; many times it actually means doing less.

Here are eight things you can do to increase your child’s chances of finding success and fulfillment in their sport that won’t cost you a penny. The best part, though, is they will help you fulfill your role as the parent of an athlete while at the same time making it all the more enjoyable.

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