What Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Play College Sports
Most youngsters playing T-ball, kicking a soccer ball, or shaking a pom-pom want to become involved in sports when they go off to college. College athletes exude self-motivation, drive, and focus. Some, like football and basketball players, get seen on TV and many others are just local campus celebrities. Behind the limelight of wins and great performances, they juggle classes, early practices, training, and injuries.

NO ONE, not even parents, especially not parents, can force their children to take on this level of discipline. Parents can only support their children in the pursuit of college sporting performance. Parental support begins way back at the first stages of sport. Parents should support the entire team, cheering for each player by name, not just calling out their own superstar's name.

Parents do best to allow their children to decide about which sports they want to try out and to choose whether they want to play recreational sports or at a competitive level. This can mean supporting the child for long drives to practices, games, and tournaments. This can mean discipline, financial shuffling, homework done in a car, and excellent time management skills.

Equally important, children will decide when they no longer want to play a sport. It is important for parents to focus on their children finding enjoyable activities that provide fitness opportunities, camaraderie, and a sense of accomplishment. Often parents forget these aspects of sports and children, and tend to live vicariously through their children's actions.

The coach of the sport plays an essential role. Coaches are just human beings. The best way to encourage children in sports is to maintain a division of labor between coach and parents. Parents would do well to focus on logistics of sports, getting the children to the field with adequate hydration, and let the coach COACH. The coach will not go beyond his or her boundaries to help with homework or tell the players to clean up their rooms. Let the coach COACH. Parents do best to direct any problems with the coach directly to the coach. With care, this communication allows the parent to see the coach's approach, and to facilitate the process to develop the child's skills. If the parent chooses to be brash, or arrogant, this communication process will be a disaster. Playing on a team for one season-and one season only- with a coach with less

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