5 tips for parents of sporty children

Throughout this article we will try to see how teach parents of athlete children some tips with the aim of promoting the sports education of our pupils.

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Tips for parents with sporty children

These are some of the guidelines that parents of athletic children should follow to contribute to their progress.

1. Behavior: a father should lead by example

In the world of sports we are tired of seeing every weekend bad behavior on the part of parents who go to the stands when they go to see their children at the games. If we want to promote the autonomy of our little ones, then it will be important to maintain an adequate and calm attitude.

We cannot forget that children (and not so young), when they practice a sport, are developing their personality at the same time. This means that in the face of an adversity that is happening on the pitch, the child will doubt himself and try to find a 'friendly face' that will give him the confidence he is looking for.

If when you look at your father, you find a father-coach If he does not stop indicating game instructions in a negative way, the child will not take control of the situation and will probably not have enough confidence to make appropriate decisions.

If, on the contrary, he sees his father smiling, then the athlete will assume his functions as a player and will take solutions with greater self-confidence.

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2. nutritional control

This second point that we are going to talk about is part of what coaches and trainers 'don't see' when children are at home with their parents, the so-called invisible training. Here are included other points that we will talk about later, but we will start with the issue of nutrition.

We must control what our children eat throughout the day, especially when they develop sports activities. It is essential to educate our children to eat five meals a day where the variety of nutrients is 'the main dish'. You have to know how to eat everything.

As is well known, it is important not to abuse sugars and saturated fats. For example, it is better for our children to eat a small ham and tomato sandwich with juice or a piece of fruit before doing physical activity or sports than going easy and buying a donut from chocolate.

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3. organization of time

There is no better way to create security in a child when he knows when an activity begins and ends. Designing a schedule of activities will be essential if we want to help our children to develop strong self-confidence. In addition, it is important to instill a sense of time, that they know the time at which one or another activity is due.

We also have to take into account not to saturate our children with too many activities extracurricular (English, French, swimming, soccer, basketball, etc.), because we can develop in them the so-called mental fatigue. The consequences can be the following: falling asleep in class, lack of energy, little attention towards teachers, lack of concentration on study, poor school performance, apathy... We must never forget study time or free time or also called play time.

4. The study

Normally a child who practices sports usually has problems when it comes to organizing study time. Either because the training schedules are not the best and they take up the afternoon or because of the mere waste of time. Parents must instill in our children that studying allows to develop intelligence, which will also help to develop with greater skill the sports qualities for which he trains.

Establishing study periods of 45 minutes will allow the child to optimize his study. Knowing how much time they have to carry out the task will give them greater security and motivation in order to finish it, because they know that once they finish they will have free time to play. If necessary, as many periods of 45 minutes as necessary may be included.

5. Responsibility and autonomy

This last point we are talking about is fundamental in order to develop a personality where security, confidence and decision-making play a leading role.

Must teach our children to be responsible from a very young age and take on certain household chores: make the bed, set and clear the table, clean up your room, pack your school backpack and sports bag, etc. With this, we will favor the responsibility of the child.

On the other hand, we must educate our children to be more autonomous. To do this, we can teach them to brush their teeth on their own, to get dressed, shower, tie their shoes, prepare breakfast, etc. Little by little we must increase the level of autonomy. This will help develop higher levels of self-confidence and security, as the child will be able to do increasingly difficult tasks.

To conclude, it is essential that both parents and coaches row in the same direction and use sport as a motivational method to develop those behaviors that will provide the child with an enriching fundamental knowledge for the development of her as a person.

Parents must instill in their children that going to training is a responsibility and a commitment that one has acquired, and that playing on the weekend It is a reward for her work and effort, but not only on the pitch but in all areas of life (home, school, sports, family, etc.).