Sports are so much fun, regardless of if you are playing them as fun outdoor games or watching them on the TV with your friends and family. Sports are a great American past time, just imagine the hot dogs, drinks, giant foam fingers and tons of pictures. Why not share the great past time of playing sports or watching them together with your family? Sports can bring a family together!
Sports Are A Great Family Activity: To Play And/Or Watch
Being from Chicago my first game was at Wrigley Field, Home of the Cubs. The tickets were like $10 and a gift from my grandmother. She originally planned on going with me and my family but didn’t feel very well that day. My father was super excited for me to go because he plays baseball with a summer league through his work friends. It was a lot of cheering! I learned that day why my dad loved baseball so much. I couldn’t believe that I lived in Chicago for 18 years without seeing a baseball game. Though the Cubs didn’t win the game, it was a lot of fun family time.
If you aren’t able to see a professional sports game in your own town, college sports games are fun too. Though I went a large chunk of my life without having experienced a Chicago baseball game, rather the White Sox or Cubs, I didn’t make that mistake in college!
My university had, “kids ‘n sibs” weekend, which I can honestly say were some of my favorite memories of college. It was a wonderful experience to have my family see why I love my university so much, and to see that every single dollar they spent on tuition is more than worth it. It was so much fun to see a college basketball game and/or volley ball game with my family.
My best sports memory was with my friends. It was my school versus one of our rivals. It was one of the few basketball games that were ever televised at my school. The school spirit was out of this world. We had give-aways, audience participation and Eddie the Cougar went around taking tons of pictures with everyone. Though my school didn’t win the game, the school spirit and learning just how much people will come together to help each other after the loss was amazing. The guys basketball team was really upset but we were all on the same team that night and the school still showed them amazing support after the game.
7 Tips For Communicating After Sports Games For Kids
Be Positive
Be a positive source of support and encouragement. Save any evaluation for the coaches and just be an unconditional source of support.
Be Attentive
Be an attentive listener. First step, ask your child if they want to talk about the game or something else or nothing at all. They will tell you the truth and wish adults would ask that question. If they do want to talk about the game, we all love to share our experiences, so allow them to talk about the game. Listen to understand first and then reply. Try not to get into the details of the game if they are still dealing with the emotions. They may just need time to get over it.
Support The Coach
Avoid undermining the coaches, even if you think they were out to lunch. They are the leaders of the team. Second-guessing the coaches will confuse them and ultimately you may undermine the team chemistry and hurt their relationship with the coach.
Tomorrow Is A New Day And Tough Work Will Pay Off
Following tough losses or poor performances remind your child that their worth as a person is not related to their abilities as an athlete. Help them recognize that tomorrow is a new day and that with hard work they can overcome anything that is keeping them from their goals. Tell them in your own way that you believe in them!
Focus On The Good
Find specifics to tell them what they did well, but be honest and sincere. You can get yourself into trouble by saying “good game” or “you did your best”, if Billy does not think this is true. You may get a sneer or sarcastic remark back. Be supportive in your comments, but do not lie or exaggerate. Kids tend to focus on their mistakes and screw-ups. Just help them start to focus on what they did correctly.
Keep Sports Game Traditions
Stick to your plans no matter the outcome of the game. If you planned to go to stop for ice cream after a win, do the same after a loss. Otherwise, your child might relate your willingness to do activities after the game with their winning and losing. Having a game day tradition is an extra way to create family fun.
Avoid Comparing Your Child To Other Children
Avoid comparing the child to other children even as it relates to training methods or skills. It can create hurt feelings and create pressure.
Conclusion
Riding out the emotions until they subside goes a long way towards making sure you don’t become one of those out of control parents at sporting events! Ultimately, as sports parents, you want to have a plan of attack in your mind for post-game. Get your emotions under control and check your body language. Give them a hug or a pat on the back. Remind yourself of what matters so you can share that naturally with them – being a good sport and giving your best effort. Sports should be fun for the whole family whether you are playing or watching.
What are some of your favorite sports that the whole family can enjoy? Do you have a favorite family sports memory? What was it? How old were you when you saw your first professional league game? What do you love about sports? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
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