When I was growing up, the extent of my athletic experience was whatever the gym teacher made me do twice a week when I put on my goofy blue gym uniform.
I hated it! How times have changed!
We already know that sports build strength, music builds discipline, and clubs look good on college applications. But if we zoom out and really watch our kids lose themselves in their favorite extracurriculars, we might start to notice something less measurable, but every bit as valuable.
On a breezy fall morning, I strolled onto the soccer field to meet my daughter, whose team had just finished a close game. Immediately, I noticed her expression was downcast. “One of the other team’s goals was my fault,” she said.
Her gloomy demeanor stirred something prickly inside me, an angst I didn’t want to feel at that moment. I rushed to find some comforting words. “Oh honey, I’m sure that’s not true! It couldn’t possibly have been all your fault.”
With many young athletes crossing my path, it’s not unusual to hear comments like, “They push me too much,” or “They’re always on my case about what I’m doing at practice.” Unsurprisingly, many young athletes feel pressured and pushed by their parents, but many parents believe in “the push.”
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