How to Help Kids Succeed at Sports

Everyone with kids knows that extracurricular activities are both a blessing and a curse. They are great to help your child learn about being part of a team, confidence building and of course those medal ceremonies aren't all bad either. However, sometimes a child loses interest in practicing, becomes disenchanted with the activity or just plain ends up in the "wrong" sport. To minimize the risk of this and help your child succeed in any sport, work with your child for the best extracurricular experience.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Child
• Paper
• Pen

1. 
    
   Decisions, decisions

   Talk to your child about their sport. Elicit information about practices, coaches and friends if they are already involved in a sport. Your goal in this conversation is to determine if they like the sport they are involved in enough to put in the work necessary to be good at it.

2. 
    
   I love my sport.

   Meet with the coach. Talk with their coach to find out how your child interacts with other team members and if there is anything that you can do or provide at home to hone your child's skills. Let the coach know that your main priority is working with them to provide the best sports experience for your child. Extra attention to the coach can lead to extra attention and training for your little athlete.

3. Fuel up. Sports success hinges on a healthy diet, but it also depends on your child having plenty of energy. Make sure that you are providing a breakfast and lunch that not only has the requisite fruits and vegetables, but that also include enough energy-building carbohydrates to fuel him through practice. Pasta, bagels and granola bars are good sources of carbohydrates and also make good snacks. Since dinner often takes place after practice, this meal should have fewer carbohydrates and more fruits, vegetables and meats.

4. 
    
   So, how do you feel about yoga?

   Exercise together. Even if your child is working out 15 or 20 hours a week, set aside some time for a quick evening walk or an early-morning bike ride. Working out with you will bring the two of you closer together and help you communicate about sports and fitness. Also, if your child is young enough or new at a sport, practices may not be frequent enough to get them in "fighting shape." Your exercise time will supplement the training that they receive at the gym.

5. 
    
   Ahhh, sweet success!

   Define success. To help your child succeed in sports, you must have a goal to aim for. Also, you must be sure that your goals and those of your child line up. You can do this step with or without your child. You may want to do it for yourself, then do the exercise together. Talk with your child about what they feel success in sports means. Make sure that the two of you come to an agreement about your goals before the seaon starts. This way, you can keep these objectives in mind and support your child every step of the way on their journey to sports success.

6. 
    

   Stay positive. Even when your child has not played their best, emphasize how proud you are of their efforts. Pick out something they did well--no matter how small--and praise them. Leave the critiquing to their coach. Even if you are more experienced, performance criticism from you, a loved parent, can easily take the form of a personal attack when a child is already down on him or herself. On the other hand, a positive example from you can inspire them to get back out there and not give up. With your help, your child can achieve anything they set their mind to on or off the playing field.