5 tips for parents of athletic children

Some keys to help children develop their sporting and psychological skills.

Throughout this article, we will try to see how to inculcate in the parents of sporting children some advice with the objective to foment the sport education of our pupils.

Tips for parents with athletic children

These are some of the guidelines that parents of athletic children should follow to contribute to their progress.

1. Behavior: a parent should lead by example.

In the world of sports we are tired of seeing every weekend bad behavior from parents bad behavior on the part of parents in the stands when they go to watch their children play in the when they go to watch their children at matches. If we want to encourage the autonomy of our children, it will be important to maintain an appropriate and calm attitude.

We cannot forget that children (and not so children), when they practice a sport are developing their personality at the same time. This means that when faced with an adversity that is happening on the playing field, the child will doubt himself and will try to look for a 'friendly face' that will give him the confidence he is looking for.

If, when he looks at his father, he finds a father-coach who does not stop indicating game instructions in a negative way, the child will not take control of the situation and will probably not have enough confidence to make the right decisions.

If, on the other hand, he observes his smiling parent, then the athlete will assume his or her role as a player and will make more self-confident solutions. with greater self-confidence.

2. Nutritional control

This second point we are going to talk about is part of what coaches and trainers 'don't see' when children are at home with their parents, the so-called invisible training. This includes other points that we will talk about later, but we will start with nutrition.

We must control what our children eat throughout the day, especially when they are involved in sports activities. It is essential to educate our children to eat five meals a day, where the variety of nutrients is 'the key'. where the variety of nutrients is 'the main course'. We must know how to eat everything.

As is well known, it is important not to abuse sugars and saturated fats. For example, it is better for our children to eat a small ham and tomato sandwich with a juice or a piece of fruit before physical activity or sports than to go easy and buy them a chocolate donut.

3. Time organization

There is no better way to create security in a child when he/she knows when an activity begins and ends. Designing a schedule of activities will be fundamental if we want to help our children develop a strong self-confidence. develop strong self-confidence. In addition, it is important to instill a sense of time, so that they know when it is time for one activity or another.

We also have to keep in mind not to saturate our children with too many extracurricular activities (English classes, French classes, swimming, soccer, basketball, etc.), because we can develop in them mental fatigue. The consequences can be the following: falling asleep in class, lack of energy, lack of attention to teachers, lack of concentration in the study, poor school performance, apathy... We must never forget neither the study time nor the free time or also called play time.

4. Study time

Normally a child who practices sports usually has problems when it comes to organizing study time. Either because the schedules of the trainings are not the best and they break the afternoon or for the mere loss of time. As parents, we must instill in our children that studying allows to develop the intelligenceThe study periods will also help them to develop with greater dexterity the sport qualities for which they are training.

Establishing study periods of 45 minutes will allow the child to optimize his study. Knowing the time you have to develop the task, will provide greater security and motivation to finish it, because you know that once finished you will have free time to play. If necessary, you can include as many 45-minute periods as necessary.

5. Responsibility and autonomy

This last point is fundamental in order to develop a personality where security, confidence and decision making play a major role.

We must We must teach our children from a very young age to be responsible and to take on certain household chores: making the bed, setting and clearing the table, picking up their room, packing their school bag and sports bag, etc. With this, we will encourage the child's responsibility.

On the other hand, we must educate our children to be more autonomous. To do this, we can teach them to brush their teeth by themselves, get dressed, take a shower, tie their slippers, prepare breakfast, etc. Little by little we must increase the level of autonomy. This will help to develop higher levels of self-confidence and security, as the child will be able to do more and more difficult tasks.

To conclude, it is essential that both parents and coaches row in the same direction and use sport as a method of motivation. use sport as a motivational method to develop those behaviors that will provide the child with an enriching knowledge that is fundamental for his or her development as a person.

Parents should instill in their children that going to practice is a responsibility and a commitment that one has acquired, and that playing on the weekend is a reward for their work and effort, but not only on the playing field but in all areas of life (home, school, sports, family, etc.).