The role of parents in the sport development of their children

The importance of physical exercise is remarkable at all ages in which it is practiced: from reducing the effects of aging to the development of social skills in childhood. And it is at this stage that he most strongly emphasizes.

But, of course, in childhood you are not completely self-sufficient, so you need the support of adults. What is the role of fathers and mothers in the sports development of their children? Let's see it, reviewing those aspects of the day-to-day training in which they intervene directly or indirectly.

• Related article: "My son is an athlete: what can I do to help him?"

Fathers and mothers before the sports development of their children

From a few decades ago to the present, sport has been gaining more relevance in all homes. The multitude of extracurricular activities offered by the different organizations have made sport an alternative leisure activity.

Gone is the lack of involvement of fathers and mothers in the sports practice of their sons and daughters who went out to play in the park without any danger and avoided "getting into trouble."

Today the interest of parents has been growing little by little, considering sport as a beneficial practice for the physical, social, health and leisure development of their sons and daughterss, thus taking the sporting practice of each family member much greater importance and helping to create and strengthen family synergy.

This practice supposes in many cases the commitment and dedication of the fathers and mothers who become the main means of transportation to attend training sessions and competitions, help physical and psychological recovery from injuries and promote healthy lifestyle habits. The performance of one or several sports in each member of the family generates an economic expense and a family organization that goes beyond sports.

The benefits of sport

That fathers and mothers invest so much time and effort in the physical exercise of their sons and daughters is not nonsense, and it is that It has been proven that practicing sports has innumerable benefits: take care of our physical health (improves circulation, strengthens the heart, better oxygenates the brain...) and mental health by improving cognitive processes such as attention, memory or language and psychological well-being through variables such as self-esteem or self-concept, it helps in academic performance thanks to its "de-stressing power" and motivator that serves as positive reinforcement, promotes values ​​such as respect, cooperation, equality or tolerance and provides a basis for social learning among others.

Ways to participate in your training

The role that fathers and mothers decide to play in the sport of their sons and daughters will be essential for their subsequent development in it, hence the importance of evaluating and valuing the involvement of young people with their sport. Depending on the needs that the boy or girl demands, parents must adapt their stimulation to a greater or lesser extent and towards one direction or another to avoid risk situations such as Burnout (or “burned athlete”), injuries or paying for sports practice.

In the same way, the role of the father or mother should not be mixed with that of the coach or trainer, since this would cause an intercontextual conflict that would affect the sporting life of the boy or girl in different aspects. Coherence and cooperation must be the cornerstone of the relationship between the two for the athlete's own good.

Enjoying sport, learning with it and improving thanks to it, are the three fundamental premises in grassroots sports that should not be mixed with those of high competition or performance. Terms that unfortunately, today are diffused at a very early age.

The implication that fathers and mothers can dedicate their sons and daughters to sport should promote the practice of it and contribute to the good psychological and mental functioning of the athlete, turning sport into a common bond that proposes new goals and joint hobbies, that respects the autonomy of the boy or girl and that progressively achieves the integral development of the athlete through a stable parent-child union and durable.