What are we trying to get out of sports?
This sign is a great reminder to us all of what we should really want out of sports for our child. It also tells us what we as adults learned from sports.
Does that mean that we do not want our children to be successful? Of course not! But what it means is that we want our child to learn the process of what makes one successful. We need to be process driven rather then result driven!!!!
Lets take a look at each statement and see how it applies to the game of life.
A parent who has a child that is coachable. That means that you have a child that can get better and more importantly wants to get better, a child that can listen and implement, a child that knows they can learn from everyone around them. They can learn what to do and sometimes what not do. They also learn that when someone corrects you that they see that you are capable of more.
A parent who has child that is respectful. A child that has a genuine respect and love for the game and all those involved with it: fans, coaches, referees, and parents. If we teach our child to respect the games they will grow a passion greater then we can ever imagine. Our child can not love to play unless they respect the game first.
A parent who has a child that is a great teammate. How do we teach our child to be a great teammate? Praise both them and their teammates for selfless acts that help the team: an assist, a rebound, a hustle play, communication. Part of being a great teammate is also working on your skills so you can contribute to the team. Teach them the balance of serving your team by bringing your best skills, but doing it for the team’s greater success. All successful businesses have a great group of people who are bringing their best talents while working towards a common goal.
A parent who has a child who is mentally tough. If we can teach our child to be mentally tough then we are preparing them for life. If we teach them a strong will to see things through, the will to work on both strengths and weakness, and the will to deal with success and failure. If we teach them how to get better at sports, we are teaching them how to get better in anything they take on in life.
A parent who has a child who is resilient: Games test us as parents, coaches, and as players. There will be countless times in every game where we all have to move on to the next play! Sports teaches us to play with no fear. A great shooter will make 50% of their field goals and about 40% of their 3 point field goals…..and that would be the best. If you are not resilient you can not move on to your ‘next make!’ Resilient players can get into the ‘zone.’ The ‘zone’ is when all things are going there way…..they can do no wrong and the game almost goes into slow motion in their minds. The enter the ‘zone’ because they have no fear of the future and no memory of the last play….they are in the moment.
When we put all of our focus on these success will come as a by product. That may not mean the leading scorer or making the top team, but it will mean success for your child in the most important game……the GAME OF LIFE!