7 questions sports parents should ask

Questions are the new answer, so I recently heard. That's probably because when you take the time to answer a question, instead of someone telling you an answer, the solution makes a bigger impact in your mind.

I share these questions to challenge you as sports parents to look inside yourself for answers that may help your children have a better youth sports experience and as a result, grow strong on the competitive journey.

To think through each of these seven questions, tackle one a day and perhaps even write it down. In a week, you might just have better clarity on the type of sports parent you are and the type you want to be.

Question #1: What do I want my child to get out of his sports experience?

Question #2: Am I forcing my child to play or is this something they really want?

Questions #3: Do I sir up negative attitudes in my child by talking negatively at home about the coach or team?

Question #4: Is my child afraid he is disappointing me after a weak performance?

Question #5: How can I help my child get the most out of her sports experience?

Questions #6: Do I stress winning or personal achievement?

Question #7: Why is it so important to me that my child has success in their sports?

There is not one right answer to all these questions. Most sports parents struggle with all of these at one time or another, even if they are not aware of it. I hope that by taking the time to answer, you also take the time to evaluate your goals as a sports parent and understand how you can help your child learn life-impacting lessons from youth sports.