{"id":5313,"date":"2019-06-21T15:47:26","date_gmt":"2019-06-21T15:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=5313"},"modified":"2025-07-10T05:10:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T09:10:59","slug":"what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do Parents of Successful Athletes Do Right?"},"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\/2019\/06\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right-1-300x150.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_to_be_a_Successful_Sports_Parent\"><\/span>How to be a Successful Sports Parent<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\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right\/#How_to_be_a_Successful_Sports_Parent\" >How to be a Successful Sports Parent<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right\/#Instead_Curry_encouraged_his_sons_to_build_confidence_in_whatever_ways_possible\" >Instead, Curry encouraged his sons to build confidence in whatever ways possible.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/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\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/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\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A parent asks us how parents of <strong>successful<\/strong> athletes have been involved in their athletes\u2019 sports experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most well-known example is Tiger Woods\u2019 father. Earl Woods started teaching Tiger how to play golf before the age of two years old and coached him exclusively until the age of five, then hired a PGA club professional to help with Tiger\u2019s training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some have criticized Earl Woods for putting too much pressure on Tiger, history shows that Tiger was able to step up through the pressure to dominate the Amateur Championships and eventually become a legend in golf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From a mental game perspective, it&#8217;s important to note that Tiger was likely able to withstand enormous <strong>pressure<\/strong> because he had learned to deal with it at an incredibly young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the time he was a teenager, he was more experienced with <strong>high-pressure <\/strong>situations than most older athletes, and he had built up rock-solid confidence from the years of practice and repetition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A somewhat contrasting example is the story of Stephen Curry, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His father, Dell Curry, played in the NBA for 15 years, and would often take Steph (and his brother Seth, also a current NBA player) to games and let them warm up with the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Tiger, Steph and Seth were surrounded by their sport from the time they were infants. Dell Curry, however, didn\u2019t pressure his sons as much as Tiger\u2019s dad pressured Tiger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Instead_Curry_encouraged_his_sons_to_build_confidence_in_whatever_ways_possible\"><\/span>Instead, Curry encouraged his sons to build confidence in whatever ways possible.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, rather than suggesting Steph attend an established NCAA college, he encouraged him to attend Davidson College, a private liberal arts college in North Carolina that had not made it past the first round of the NCAA tournament in more than 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A smaller college experience let Steph Curry take on more responsibility for the team and helped build his confidence as a leader and a shooter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2008, Steph Curry led Davidson to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1968 and grew tremendously as a basketball player, leader and shooter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both these parents immersed their young athletes in sports at a very young age, encouraging them to practice and build confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They tried to find the best coaches and trainers to help hone their young athletes\u2019 skills over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also happened to have young athletes who loved the game. If either Tiger or Steph didn\u2019t enjoy their sport, it\u2019s unlikely they\u2019d be as <strong>successful<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This story repeats itself frequently, with other well-known famous athletes like Serena and Venus Williams, who were picking up tennis rackets at the age of four, and Wayne Gretzky, who was shooting hockey pucks at two years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The message: Help build confidence in your young athletes in ways that best suit them. Find them the right trainers. Most of all, make sure they\u2019re enjoying their experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, help your athletes develop the mental skills as kids to be <strong>successful<\/strong> when they perform under more pressure-filled circumstances in high school, college, and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-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_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<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\/how-participating-in-sports-gives-kids-an-edge-in-life\/\"><strong>How Participating in Sports Gives Kids an Edge in Life<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-kids-can-learn-to-make-the-most-of-mistake-while-competing\/\"><strong>How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistakes While Competing<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-this-sport-builds-confidence-and-focus-in-kids\/\"><strong>How This Sport Builds Confidence and Focus in Kids<\/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 <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-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to be a Successful Sports Parent A parent asks us how parents of successful athletes have been involved in their athletes\u2019 sports experience. The most well-known example is Tiger Woods\u2019 father. Earl Woods started teaching Tiger how to play golf before the age of two years old and coached &#8230; <a title=\"What Do Parents of Successful Athletes Do Right?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-do-parents-of-successful-athletes-do-right\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about What Do Parents of Successful Athletes Do Right?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,35,23,17,6],"tags":[95],"class_list":["post-5313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kids-in-sports","category-pressure-from-parents","category-sports-kids","category-sports-parenting","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-parents-expectations-for-athletes"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5313","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=5313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}