{"id":7233,"date":"2021-10-27T17:02:08","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T21:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=7233"},"modified":"2025-07-09T05:07:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T09:07:02","slug":"should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Parents Only Focus on Fun in Youth Sports?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/athletes-who-lack-confidence-and-mental-game-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/athletes-who-lack-confidence-and-mental-game-1.jpg\" alt=\"Young-Athletes-Who-Lack-Confidence-\" class=\"wp-image-5050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/athletes-who-lack-confidence-and-mental-game-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/athletes-who-lack-confidence-and-mental-game-1-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Training_Young_Athletes_to_take_their_Sports_Seriously\"><\/span>Training Young Athletes to take their Sports Seriously<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-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/#Training_Young_Athletes_to_take_their_Sports_Seriously\" >Training Young Athletes to take their Sports Seriously<\/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\/should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/#Parents_need_to_take_sports_more_seriously_when_kids_are_younger_Edwards_says\" >Parents need to take sports more seriously when kids are younger, Edwards says.<\/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\/should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/#Listen_to_the_Full_Podcast\" >Listen to the Full Podcast:<\/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\/should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/#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-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/#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>Does Focusing Too Much on Fun Lead to Sports Kids Dropping Out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, parents focus too much on ensuring their kids are having <strong>fun<\/strong> in youth sports, which results in kids dropping out if the experience isn&#8217;t <strong>fun<\/strong> or <strong>entertaining<\/strong>, says Jonathan Edwards, Olympian, speaker, coach and author of &#8220;An Athlete&#8217;s Guide to Winning in Sports and Life.&#8221; But kids don&#8217;t drop out of math or English when they&#8217;re no longer fun. What should parents do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe talk about how sports should be <strong>fun<\/strong>. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s the right word. It muddies the sports journey. Fun is different for everyone,\u201d he told us during an interview on the Ultimate Sports Parent podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids will say video games are <strong>fun<\/strong>, and when they\u2019re no longer fun, they just click away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Math has performance metrics. But in sports that\u2019s not always true, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe want more for kids in sports\u2014character&nbsp;development, teamwork and hard work. It\u2019s a massive list. Yet when it\u2019s not <strong>fun<\/strong>, we allow kids to fall away&#8230;A lot of people will step away or discount the experience or get on the coach but wouldn\u2019t do that with a teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parents_need_to_take_sports_more_seriously_when_kids_are_younger_Edwards_says\"><\/span>Parents need to take sports more seriously when kids are younger, Edwards says.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Here at The Ultimate Sports Parent, we agree that it\u2019s a good idea to encourage kids to hang in there.&nbsp; But too much <strong>pressure<\/strong> from parents can cause kids to drop out. It\u2019s important to strike a balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edwards says that if kids struggle in sports, parents could treat the young athletes the same way they do when kids have trouble in school: by focusing on improvement, issues like tactical and physical abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edwards often works with both aspiring athletes and their parents to address these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to focus on \u201c<strong>soft skills<\/strong>\u201d such as dedication and teamwork, says Edwards. If parents took those skills more seriously when their kids first begin participating in sports, it would eliminate some of the confusion about sports, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some parents emphasize the performance side of sports. Others concentrate on the entertainment side. That will create a divide in any program, says Edwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The experience would be less muddied or confusing if all parents came to sports with a focus on creating an enjoyable experience for their kids and on working together to improve as a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cMy focus is wherever you are right now, you have&nbsp; a goal. Wherever you are right now we need to manage this situation to get you where you need to go,\u201d he says.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Listen_to_the_Full_Podcast\"><\/span>Listen to the Full Podcast:   <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/21564287\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/4188b5\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Subscribe to our <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/building-confidence-in-young-athletes\/id1602758597\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ultimate Sports Parent Radio Show<\/a><\/strong><\/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\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>Why Sports Must be Fun for Young Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-have-more-fun\/\"><strong>Helping Young Athletes Have More Fun\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/parents-are-your-athletes-having-fun\/\"><strong>Parents: Are Your Athletes Having Fun?<\/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-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>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>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\"><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>Training Young Athletes to take their Sports Seriously Does Focusing Too Much on Fun Lead to Sports Kids Dropping Out? Often, parents focus too much on ensuring their kids are having fun in youth sports, which results in kids dropping out if the experience isn&#8217;t fun or entertaining, says Jonathan &#8230; <a title=\"Should Parents Only Focus on Fun in Youth Sports?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Should Parents Only Focus on Fun in Youth Sports?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,6],"tags":[612],"class_list":["post-7233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parent-podcast","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-fun-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7233","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=7233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7233\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}