{"id":1734,"date":"2012-08-29T19:48:59","date_gmt":"2012-08-29T19:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=1734"},"modified":"2025-08-07T07:15:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T11:15:12","slug":"sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/","title":{"rendered":"Sports Parents: You Can Help Your Athletes if They Are Bullied"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/how-to-boost-kids-sports-confidence.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" class=\"wp-image-3429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/how-to-boost-kids-sports-confidence.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/how-to-boost-kids-sports-confidence-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Can_Parents_Help_Bullied_Sports_Kids\"><\/span>How Can Parents Help Bullied Sports Kids<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/#How_Can_Parents_Help_Bullied_Sports_Kids\" >How Can Parents Help Bullied Sports Kids<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/#Bullying_is_one_of_the_top_issues_parents_write_us_about\" >Bullying is one of the top issues parents write us about.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/#First_and_foremost_parents_need_to_keep_an_eye_out_for_signs_of_bullying\" >First and foremost, parents need to keep an eye out for signs of bullying:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/#You_could_also_talk_to_the_coach\" >You could also talk to the coach.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/#Related_Articles_on_Youth_Sports\" >Related Articles on Youth Sports:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/#Help_Young_Athletes_Boost_Confidence_in_Sports\" >Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a recent survey of 650 parents on an online site about plastic surgery, 68% of parents surveyed said they would allow their teens to undergo plastic surgery to avoid bullying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The survey shows just how far parents will go to prevent their kids from being bullied&#8212;a problem that is rampant in youth sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bullying_is_one_of_the_top_issues_parents_write_us_about\"><\/span>Bullying is one of the top issues parents write us about.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, one parent wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cI have a very gifted athlete who started her sports at age 9. Her coaches are amazing and she progressed to the National level quite quickly. There were a couple of girls on the team that were jealous of my daughter, they would belittle her, make rude comments, leave her out of events, and just ignore her.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another parent told a story about her son, who returned to soccer after breaking his arm, only to be bullied for not playing well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cThere was an incident last week where the boys all teased him at training because he isn\u2019t <strong>confident<\/strong> at heading the ball and his form isn\u2019t perfect. He was almost in tears and now doesn\u2019t want to return to play the rest of the season out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s common for kids to <strong>drop out of sports<\/strong> for being bullied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, it\u2019s often hard for parents to intercede before the damage is done because young athletes are often too embarrassed to talk about being the victims of bullying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_and_foremost_parents_need_to_keep_an_eye_out_for_signs_of_bullying\"><\/span>First and foremost, parents need to keep an eye out for signs of bullying:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are your sports kids suddenly less interested in going to practice?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do they seem more anxious about going to practices or games?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do they make excuses for avoiding practices and games?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If so, you should talk to them. Tell your sports kids that it\u2019s very common for kids to be bullied and ask them if they\u2019ve seen or experienced any harassment, teasing or intimidation on their team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_could_also_talk_to_the_coach\"><\/span>You could also talk to the coach.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be diplomatic. Don\u2019t blame the coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, it\u2019s not a bad idea to attend practice to get a feel for how the team members\u2014and the coach\u2014treat one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you do believe that kids are bullying each other\u2014or the coach is harassing or teasing the kids\u2014talk to the other parents. See if you can band together to talk to the coach and the administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep in mind that the majority of young athletes drop out of sports by the time they are 13 because sports isn\u2019t fun anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t let your child join the ranks of kids who quit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Related Articles on Youth Sports:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-sports-kids-are-bullied-by-coaches\/\"><strong>When Sports Kids Are Bullied By Coaches<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-should-parents-react-when-they-see-a-player-bullied\/\"><strong>How Should Parents React When They See a Player Bullied?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/\"><strong>Sports Parents: You Can Help Your Athletes if They Are Bullied<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> <\/strong>on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Help_Young_Athletes_Boost_Confidence_in_Sports\"><\/span>Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ultimate-sports-parent-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ultimate-sports-parent-small.jpg\" alt=\"The Ultimate Sports Parent\" class=\"wp-image-11157\" style=\"width:167px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every day, we receive letters from parents like you who want their children and teens to excel in sports. However, these parents can <strong>see fear, doubt, and frustration on the faces of their kids<\/strong> who struggle with the \u201cinner\u201d game of sports. But these parents have no idea how to help their kids <strong>overcome the worries, expectations and self-defeating thoughts<\/strong> that prevent their young athletes from feeling confident and successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can benefit from our 1<strong>5-plus years\u2019 of work in sports psychology and sports parenting research<\/strong>. Now, you can <strong>tap into our secrets to sports success<\/strong> through a cutting-edge, 14-day program that helps young athletes overcome the top \u201cmental game\u201d challenges that sports parents face\u2014and the top <strong>challenges young athletes face<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-fbab03ed\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-fa7bf2e7 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/ultimate-sports-parent-workbook-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-33bcee1d gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-ultimate-sports-parent-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Can Parents Help Bullied Sports Kids In a recent survey of 650 parents on an online site about plastic surgery, 68% of parents surveyed said they would allow their teens to undergo plastic surgery to avoid bullying. The survey shows just how far parents will go to prevent their &#8230; <a title=\"Sports Parents: You Can Help Your Athletes if They Are Bullied\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-you-can-help-your-athletes-if-they-are-bullied\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Sports Parents: You Can Help Your Athletes if They Are Bullied\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[482,513,511,512],"class_list":["post-1734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-bully-coach","tag-bully-teammates","tag-bullying-in-youth-sports","tag-young-athletes-and-bullying","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}