How to keep your teen athlete from losing their gear or their sanity.
Extracurricular activities play a pivotal role in our children's lives, shaping their experiences, friendships, and personal growth. As parents, we're their biggest supporters, but it's natural to feel concerned about the added stress that comes with juggling sports and activities. Here’s how to navigate this exciting but sometimes challenging time:
Streamline Your Prep Work: Managing the chaos of getting to dance, football practice, gymnastics, soccer, or other activities can be overwhelming. To ease the stress, establish a system where everything your child needs is in one place. Create a checklist or designated spot for their gear, uniforms, and any other essentials. Leaving on time with everything they need will help them arrive to practice calm and ready to go.
Prioritize Sleep: With only 24 hours in a day, it’s essential for your athlete to get 8-9 hours of sleep each night. While it might not always be feasible to achieve this perfect balance, striving for it as often as possible will benefit their overall performance and well-being. Adequate rest helps them manage stress, stay healthy, and lose the irritability.
Stay Connected During Injuries: If your child is sidelined due to an injury, it’s crucial to keep them engaged and connected to their team. Explore ways for them to contribute, such as keeping score, cheering from the sidelines, or assisting with other tasks. It’s about feeling part of the squad, even if they’re not physically playing.
Encourage Positive Self-Talk: It’s easy for kids to fixate on mistakes, like a missed shot or a lost game. Help them shift their focus from perfection to growth. Remind them that their worth isn’t determined by flawless performance but by their effort, enthusiasm, and support for their teammates. Celebrate their resilience—because nobody needs a performance review after every game.
Manage Your Own Emotions: Watching your kid compete is a thrill ride, but remember to keep your own emotions in check. It’s important to manage our emotions and maintain a balanced perspective. Our children look to us for support, and our calm and positive demeanor can help them feel more confident and less anxious.
Understand Pre-Game Nerves: Feeling nervous before a game or performance is completely normal. However, it’s essential to differentiate between healthy nerves and overwhelming panic. Encourage your child to channel their anxiety into focus and preparation, rather than letting it hinder their performance. Help your child turn that nervous energy into focus, and if their anxiety starts to resemble panic, let’s chat about whether therapy could be the game-changer.
Keep the Perspective: Remember, sports and activities are meant to be enjoyable and enriching. Challenges are part of the deal, but the overall experience should bring joy, not just stress. Think of it like a healthy relationship: it should enhance their life, providing growth and satisfaction rather than detracting from it.
Build a community: If your kids continue sports and activities into their teen years, you will spend loads of time with the other parents and coaches. Spending some time to get to know these families will make the activities more enjoyable for you and will have the added benefit of building your child’s support system. Plus, you’ll need someone to share the victory dances and snack disasters with.
By supporting your child in these ways, you help them navigate their extracurricular adventures, turning the chaos into something that contributes positively to their development—and maybe gives you a few less grey hairs along the way.
