How Parents Influence Sports Performance
Playing a sport, especially at young ages, displays true talent. As you get older, you realize the importance of participating in sports. Some do it for fun; others do it because they simply have a heart for the game. The best type of game is played-especially for me- is the game played in front of family. Sometimes the screams from the bleachers of familiar voices can encourage you to play your hardest.
In my opinion, for me, I relied on family influence heavily when I played softball. Seeing, as I did not want to play to begin with, I always felt a lot better when my mom and brother would show up to games supporting my sisters and I. She played a big part in growing my love for sports, to begin with, and her actually being there in the stands made me feel like I was making her proud. Although, in my case I didn’t really have a say in whether or not I wanted to play, I was pushed out of my comfort zone, and actually enjoyed what I was doing, and I couldn’t ask for a better first sports experience.
Having an active support system within your athletic career increases your drive to face and overcome a challenge. It also helps outline the show-off within most competitive athletes. Having my mother and father at softball games made me feel as if I had to become Derek Jeter and hit every single ball. I did not hit every ball, but they maintained the feeling of being proud of me, and even provided constructive criticism. When the coach was being hard on the emotions, my mother and father were there to remind me that a strikeout was not the end of the world. They made you keep pushing, alongside with the coaches. Parents involved in sports also promotes a better parent-child relationship. Children can better communicate with their parents, about not only the game they participate in, but also about everyday life. There has also been a positive correlation between going pro, and parental support. When it is time to choose where to play from high school to college, most decisions become based on households with strong backbones of support. Which is why most athletes never forget where they came from.
When KD gave his speech to the press, it became personal when he reflected on his mom’s impact throughout his life, referring to her as “the real MVP,” And most times, sports allows for that personal connection to a strong support system. With some type of parental influence in sports, whether it be youth or college-level, win or lose, it is always someone there to appreciate your game. The parents who act as coaches without stepping on any toes, who promote actual enjoyment of the game, and those who are not overly involved within the goal to better not only their child but the team as whole helps promote positive growth and ambition to succeed with their sport.
