Sports parents, in the past few years, have soiled their reputations in public displays at their child’s sporting events. Parents have been seen negatively treating their child, for the solemn purpose of them not wanting to be there. Parents have been called overbearing, annoying, simpleminded, tyrannical, and cavalier. Many adults are tired of the negative feedback of these, as so they say, “Grown” adult parents, and many often wonder, “What are the effects on children whose parents push them into sports? ” Every parent wants there child to be known and to succeed, and sports are just one of those things that can ake that happen.
All parents at one point in time, whether it is a boy or girl, ask themselves “What sport do I want my child to play? ” Now, you may have noticed that I didn’t ask the question, “What if they don’t want to play sports,” because, for the most part, it doesn’t really matter. Whether your child is the next Super Bowl star or more of the bookish type, the need for people to question “What sport will he/she be taking” won’t diminish. It seems that the millennium has brought on the expectation that parents will automatically enroll their kids into their (the parents’) sport of choice — or else (HuffingtonPost. CA).
A child who is a victim of these parents, tend to suffer from stress, and mood changes. When kids are pushed and suffer stress, they also experience anxiety and depression, which can surface as physical symptoms like headaches and stomach pains, says psychotherapist, Mary J Rapini (Mom. Me). Experts in the field mostly point to parents as the prime culprit in promoting a competition crazed environment in youth sports (Beestar. org). Parents failed to understand that children sporting events is about the child having fun, not winning. The parents come across as controlling to others, and cause great ommotion to others in the stands.
Many people have noticed these behaviors and scientific researchers have been made to find out how a child is affected when working under these conditions. Controlling parents did not support their children’s antimony, and we’re not sensitive to their children’s mood, and tend to report more closed modes of communication (research gate. com). Autonomy supportive parents provided appropriate structure for their children and allowed them to be involved in decision making. These parents were also able to read their children’s mood and reported open bidirectional ommunication (research gate. om), which other children with controlling parents lack.
Positive parents’ involvement means looking out for a child’s needs and interest (Web. extension. illinois. edu). Parents can do this in sports by: I Being friendly to the opposing team and their fans I Emphasizing the importance of the child’s best efforts I Having open family discussion with their child about how everyone feels When there is a positive involvement by parents: I Parent-youth relationships are improved I Youth are more competent and feel better about themselves I Misunderstandings.
Pressure and competitive stress are reduced (web. extension. illinois. edu) The choice of sport should be a family discussion and take into consideration how it will affect the family. Parents must consider their commitment to helping the child attend practices and games on a regular basis (web. extension. illinois. edu). It’s so easy to get caught up in the emotions of watching your child play. You want them to be successful. You’re afraid if they mess up people will look down on the child and you.
You want them to smile. You want them to win (USLacrosse. org). Parents loathe the stereotype of the ushy self-serving “stage mom” yet they seem to have no problem at all with the parent who pushes their child to excel at sports at any cost (Huffingtonposts. CA). Awareness has been raised of this predicament on the several circumstances and sports parents counseling has been well advised. Sports Parents Pledge is an organization that was formed to attack this predicament.
Also, launched on March 1, 2001 the center of sports parenting is a web-based initiative that offers immediate and practical guidance to parents, coaches, educators, administrators, officials, and all other individuals involved in outh sports (sportsparenting. org). Parent’s involvement in youth sports can be good for kids in many ways. However, the benefits can also be overshadowed by negative or inappropriate involvement by parents (web. extension. illinoise. edu). Spectators at sporting events want their team to win.
This feeling is magnified if the event includes one of their children. Parents need to understand that “winning” is not the only successful outcome from a youth sporting event (web. extension. illinois. edu). “As a parent you need to be in charge of inspiring your child”, says Capuano. However, if by ‘inspiring’ you mean ‘nagging’ or ‘criticizing’, parents should know the nagging is not effective in the long term even though it is sometimes the most efficient way to get a result in the short term. ” There are potential pitfalls when you push your child to far (mom. me).
Parents tend to think everyone’s going to the Olympics,” says Patrick Mediate, a physical education teacher and coordinator of the strength and conditioning program at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut (Beestar. org). Parents kicked out of games for any unruly behavior, to coaches ripping young athletes from opposing teams. Parents influence their children by modeling the type of behavior and attitude that are around them their child notices, But if a parent becomes irate yells at the reference for a ‘Bad Call’; the child learns nothing about good sportsmanship and appropriate conduct.
As much as parents strive to be the loving and supportive parents that they would like to be, our more egotistical and narcissistic and semblance of reaso n or fairness for that matter (Huffingtonposts. CA). We tell our children to follow their dreams, that we will support them in anything they want to be. Yet so many of us impose strict parameters on their extra- curricular achieves if they don’t involve sports (Huffingtonposts. CA). The parents get to live out any vicarious fantasies that they may have, stemming from youthful sporting pursuits, yet unrealized (Huffingtonposts.
CA). Be supportive and don’t lose track of your purpose (mom. me). A former parent of a child that played sports noticed himself possessing these actions, and realized that was not the way he wanted to label himself. He started testing himself to the limits and figured out several different techniques to cope with ppropriate behaviors at sporting events. Going to watch games in which my kids weren’t playing has been a great reality check. When you remove yourself from the emotions, it’s pretty easy to tell right from wrong.
I’ve watched how people act at these games and I can recall myself doing similar things. It’s not exactly a great feeling. A much better feeling is when you start to open your mouth and then remembering those moments of reflection, and stopping yourself. In addition to teaching the fundamental of sound checking and instruction to volunteer coaches and parents addresses such important youth sports opic, sports parenting health and safety, character, and skill development (NCYS. org).
To those in which matter doesn’t exist, the child gets to bask in the glory of the thrill of victory as we’ll as the gleam in their parents eyes. The darker side to this reality, however, is the ongoing feelings of anxiety, stress and inadequacy felt by those children who may not have the desire or ability to become the next Olympic gold medal winner (huffingtonpost. CA). Therefore, the effects of children whose parents force them into sports, have negative effects on the child and their self-esteem.
