Part of being a parent necessarily involves being interested and concerned in
all aspects of a child’s life. But how much interest and how much concern should
a mom or dad show for their young one? It can be difficult sometimes, and go
against the grain of parental instincts, but parents need to allow their
children a modicum of independence for them to thrive, find their true selves,
develop sufficiency and lead lives of their own outside the home.
A dilemma arises when parents become overly involved in their children’s
lives, and particularly in the sports that they play. When this happens, the
child will start to feel like a puppet, with his or her parents playing the
puppeteer. Youngsters in this situation lose the interest and drive that
initially motivated them to participate in a sport. Having lost all sense of
control that they have over any decision involving their athletic lives, they
will find less pleasure and more discontent, eventually causing them to abandon
their sport.
This type of conduct in some parents and coaches has proved to have a
negative effect on the youngster’s athletic life. Imagine the humiliation and
loss of morale a young athlete experiences every time his or her parents and
coaches bellow stridently at judges, or even at the athlete for a poorly
executed move at practice or competition.
