Does your child struggle with high expectations?
As a parent, how can you help and guide your child on a good path?
My name is Ann Zaprazny, and I help parents and athletes succeed in sports and life.
Your time watching and supporting your child participate in sports will fly by. Depending on the age(s) of your child(ren), you may not believe it.
As a parent of three children - the time will fly by.
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Athlete Journal
The 90-day game plan on how to succeed in sports and life
Athlete Meditations
It's time to let go of stress, feel calmer, and learn how to trust yourself.
Athlete Mental Training
On-demand video-based mental performance training and exercises.
Managing Expectations
Your child can struggle with high expectations.
Personal expectations in sports are different from goals.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a goal is an end toward which effort is directed.
In contrast, personal expectations are standards of performance that we hold ourselves to. These may not be realistic.
They can erode our confidence and performance if we don't achieve them.
As a parent, it is essential to know that many athletes have unrealistic expectations of their performance and hold themselves to an unachievable performance standard.
Unrealistic performance expectations increase stress and adversely impact performance, erode confidence, and adversely impact performance.
If you child need to stress down, here is a solution that might helpAs a sports parent, how can you help?
- Reflect on your behavior.
- What expectations are you placing on your child?
- What expectations might your child assume you have for them?
Are your expectations adversely impacting your child's performance?
Circle the statements that apply to you or your spouse or other significant family members regarding your family's youth athlete(s).
- Your child should be a starter.
- Your child should drop time and or improve their performance on every outing.
- Your child should be a star.
- Your child should be a captain.
- Your child knows when you are disappointed with their performance
- Your child knows that you will critique their performance after every competition.
- Your approval of your child increases when your child performs well.
- Your approval of your child decreases when your child performs poorly.
- You get frustrated when your child makes a mistake in a competition.
- You coach and or instruct your child from the sidelines during competition.
Ponder your results. Are you putting additional stress on your child?
How to help your child perform their best.
- Encourage your athlete to focus on what they can control.
- Encourage your athlete to use their breath to center and calm.
- Let your child's coach, coach. That is their job.
- After the competition, tell your child that you love watching them compete and ask what you want to eat.
- Avoid critical analysis after the competition.*
- Acknowledge that sports are what your child does. It is part of who they are. Not all of who they are.
*Studies of athletes who have finished their careers show that athletes have fond memories of time spent with their friends. However, what they dreaded most was the car ride home and the critical analysis of how they performed.
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