ROLE OF A PARENT

VALUES

The values you as a parent convey to your children provide a lens through which they view their sport participation. With that in mind, we recommend that you are thoughtful, deliberate, and proactive in introducing your children to values. These values will lead them to fulfill an enjoyable athletic experience, a positive lifelong relationship with sports, and a strong influence of sports in their personal and social development outside of sports. In terms of your child’s sports involvement, their values will dictate how they think. For example, if you impart the importance of effort and fun over winning, they will focus on those values when they approach competitions, just like if you prescribe the values of winning over trying their best. The thinking that transpires from the values your young athletes hold will produce specific emotional reactions when they participate in their sport. Keeping with the previous example, if the emphasis is on effort and fun, they will likely experience emotions like excitement and pride as they approach competitions.

 "Sports can play a big role in teaching values and principles. It can be a huge development tool for life. Just think, teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and trust are all part of the game and are also all factors in how we make the most of our lives."

The values that your children show and express in their sport participation will clearly define the following statements:

• This is who I am.
• This is what I value.
• This is what I stand for.
• This is what guides my sports participation.
• This is how I will behave.
• This is what I want out of my sports participation.

The following list of values will serve your children as they get involved in their active lives and leave youth sports experiences behind them:

• Honesty
• Commitment
• Strong work ethic
• Pursuit of personal experience
• Love of sport
• Fun
• Respect of self and others
• Sportsmanship
• Humility
• Teamwork
• Patience
• Perseverance
• Resilience
• Best effort
• Embrace failure
• Balance in life
• Physical health

A suggestive way to introduce your children to the importance of healthy sport values is to also identify unhealthy values in sport and assist them in distinguishing the differences between positive and negative values. Some negative values:

• Winning is the ultimate goal
• Bravado
• Selfishness
• Machismo
• Winning at any cost
• Demeaning the opposition
• Pursuit of fame and fortune

To understand what values you have as a parent and what you communicate with your children regarding their sport experiences, pose the following questions to yourself:

• What values were you raised on in terms of sports participation?
• What do you value in your child’s sports participation?
• How do you spend your money and time related to sports?
• Will the values you’ve identified bring your children meaning, satisfaction, and enjoyment in their athletic lives?

Parent Tip: Know the value your child places on sport participation and performance, as well as how they define success. Comparing your own goals with your children’s goals could prevent disconnection and/or confrontation.