{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Eric's post got me thinking of when
I was a youngster...tearing through my Grimm's Book of Fairytales; Which I admit
I still have and flip through every time I move and have to unpack my bookshelf.
{size:0.8em}{font:Wingdings}{size:10pt}J{size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt} The book was my
mothers so as you can imagine it's seen better days. It???s now quite tattered
and aged; well loved I like to say. Those seemed to be much simpler times;
summers were great since the sun didn???t go down until 8 pm which meant we could
play football in the street with the neighbors a few hours longer. Now summers
come and go and I seemed to have missed them?! But I
digress???
educational value of athletics - the development of teamwork, sportsmanship,
cooperation, competition, work ethic, and more. Of course we can learn these
values doing/participating in other things however for the sake of this article
and for the fact that I work for eteamz I will agree. However, there have been
several instances over the last few years that have made me think long and hard
about this theory and the role of parents here. I???m sure you all recall the
most recent story of the father who rushed a football field to tackle a player
that hit his child late - after the ball hit the ground. I was horrified when I
saw the footage???But he was far from the worst sports parent ever. Oh no the
honor is shared by several infamous lunatics:
- {size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Wanda Webb
Holloway, who was sent to prison for trying to have the mother of her daughter's!http://active.typepad.com/eteamz/images/164385624_43f0744ca3_1.jpg!http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/164385624_43f0744ca3_1.jpg
cheerleading rival murdered;
- {size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Christophe
Fauviau, a Frenchman convicted of poisoning his children's tennis rivals with an
antianxiety drug. One drugged opponent fell asleep at the wheel of his car and
died; and
- {size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Thomas
Junta, who killed a fellow hockey dad after a fight during their sons'
practice.
{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Overbearing adults aren't a new
thing, especially where fame and fortune are at stake. Still, it's hard in a
world where athletes become not only super-famous, but extraordinarily wealthy.
We dream of that for our own kids, especially if they show some talent. This
dream can be dangerous. Having outsized expectations and applying too much
pressure are two big mistakes parents can make. It???s natural for kids to want to
grow up and be super stars. Doesn???t every kid? But the reality is that most
won't grow up to be professional athletes. Most won't even earn college sports
scholarships. So finding the balance between healthy support vs. an unhealthy
obsession is crucial. Otherwise we aim to lose those core values we as parents
work so hard to instill in our children. We as parents end up being the cause
of our misbehaving or unbalanced child.
{font:Arial}{size:10pt}So what should parents do? I say
find balance between teaching children to embrace the journey and maintaining a
competitive spirit. Instead of focusing on the trophies, ribbons, and
scholarships focus more on the fun and the skill-development aspects of the
sport and let go of the pressure to win. Make sure your kids are having fun;
Don't project your dreams onto your child; Be realistic, remembering the goals
are fun and fitness first; and don't push your kids too early, and don't push
them to do sports that interest you. Seems easy enough. Let kids be kids with
healthy guidance and support.{font}{size}
