{"id":247,"date":"2009-10-02T00:00:51","date_gmt":"2009-10-02T00:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=247"},"modified":"2025-08-11T05:04:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T09:04:31","slug":"should-sports-parents-be-their-kids-trainer-nutritionist-and-sports-psychologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-sports-parents-be-their-kids-trainer-nutritionist-and-sports-psychologist\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Sports Parents be Their Kids\u2019 Trainer, Nutritionist and Sports Psychologist?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3636\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/4-2.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/4-2.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/4-2-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Motivating_And_Communicating_With_Young_Athletes\"><\/span>Motivating And Communicating With Young Athletes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 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\/should-sports-parents-be-their-kids-trainer-nutritionist-and-sports-psychologist\/#Motivating_And_Communicating_With_Young_Athletes\" >Motivating And Communicating With Young Athletes<\/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\/should-sports-parents-be-their-kids-trainer-nutritionist-and-sports-psychologist\/#Is_she_too_over-involved_in_her_kids_sports_life\" >Is she too over-involved in her kids\u2019 sports life?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-sports-parents-be-their-kids-trainer-nutritionist-and-sports-psychologist\/#Mari_also_asks_her_kids_about_just_how_much_they_want_her_involved_in_their_sports_life\" >Mari also asks her kids about just how much they want her involved in their sports life.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/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\/should-sports-parents-be-their-kids-trainer-nutritionist-and-sports-psychologist\/#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-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-sports-parents-be-their-kids-trainer-nutritionist-and-sports-psychologist\/#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>Mari, a sports mom of&nbsp;two successful kayakers, aged 13 and 14, says she\u2019s her kids\u2019 <strong>sports psychologist<\/strong>, personal trainer, nutritionist and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She contacted us to ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_she_too_over-involved_in_her_kids_sports_life\"><\/span>Is she too over-involved in her kids\u2019 sports life?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After speaking with Mari, we concluded that the answer is no. But very few sports parents can pull off what Mari does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why? It\u2019s really challenging for sports parents to spend so much time involved in their kids\u2019 sports life and strike that delicate balance between being <strong>supportive\u2014and<\/strong> too emotionally invested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on to learn just what Mari does so well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, Mari emphasizes the importance of <strong>communicating<\/strong> well with her two kids, who compete at the national level. In fact, <strong>communication<\/strong> is a top priority for Mari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cEver since we\u2019ve been able to <strong>communicate<\/strong> verbally, I\u2019ve been involved in talking about how they feel and the choices they make. Open <strong>communication<\/strong> is key. We talk about how we\u2019re working as a team. This <strong>communication<\/strong> piece has kept it healthy,\u201d<\/em> she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/ultimate-sports-parent-workbook-cd-program\/\">Ultimate Sports Parent<\/a> and Kids\u2019 Sports Psychology, we agree that <strong>communicating<\/strong> well with your young athletes is one of the most important things you can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re on the same page as your young athletes\u2014if you understand what <strong>motivates<\/strong> them and what makes them happy in sports\u2014you\u2019re likely to support them in the best way possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, you\u2019re not likely to push them in directions they don\u2019t want to go (which is a big no-no in sports parenting!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mari_also_asks_her_kids_about_just_how_much_they_want_her_involved_in_their_sports_life\"><\/span>Mari also asks her kids about just how much they want her involved in their sports life.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cEach step of way, I check in. I offer to back off. They say, \u2018No, they don\u2019t want me to,\u2019\u201d<\/em> she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She notes that some parents actually back off too soon, and their children quit due to lack of support. This is all about striking that important balance we mentioned earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mari has also gained the respect of her young athletes by learning as much as possible about their sport. In fact, Mari trained and raced at the nationals and learned a lot about the hardships of the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every sports parent can compete, but this gave her empathy for the rigors her kids face and credibility with her kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI did it to see what it\u2019s like. I found that to be on the water in February, your hands are so cold that they turn purple and expand when you run them under hot water.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, Mari <strong>communicates<\/strong> with her children\u2019s coach to ensure she has his blessing to be so involved. She does not step into his coaching territory unless she worries that the kids\u2019 safety is at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In summary, Mari embraces many critical ideas about <strong>sports parenting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>They include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establish open lines of <strong>communication<\/strong> with your sports kids. Be empathic!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&nbsp;Understand their goals and dreams and <strong>support<\/strong> those goals\u2014not yours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t confuse your young athletes by being a sideline coach. Let the coaches do their work and support them!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\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\/sports-parents-learn-from-simone-biles-twisties-during-the-olympics\/\"><strong>Sports Parents: Learn from Simone Biles\u2019 \u201cTwisties\u201d During the Olympics?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-parents-can-help-kids-relax\/\"><strong>How Sports Parents Can Help Kids Relax<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/young-athletes-must-trust-the-grind\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-parents-anger-and-frustration-hurts-kids\/\"><strong>Sports Parents\u2019 Anger and Frustration Hurts Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> 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>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>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>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Motivating And Communicating With Young Athletes Mari, a sports mom of&nbsp;two successful kayakers, aged 13 and 14, says she\u2019s her kids\u2019 sports psychologist, personal trainer, nutritionist and much more. She contacted us to ask: Is she too over-involved in her kids\u2019 sports life? After speaking with Mari, we concluded that &#8230; <a title=\"Should Sports Parents be Their Kids\u2019 Trainer, Nutritionist and Sports Psychologist?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-sports-parents-be-their-kids-trainer-nutritionist-and-sports-psychologist\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Should Sports Parents be Their Kids\u2019 Trainer, Nutritionist and Sports Psychologist?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,6],"tags":[72,64,264,75,74,76,253,259,73],"class_list":["post-247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parenting","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-communication","tag-confidence","tag-confidence-in-young-athletes","tag-kids-nutritionist","tag-kids-sports-psychologist","tag-parents-role-in-training","tag-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-sports-parenting","tag-sports-parenting-and-training-kids","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247","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=247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}