In Part 2 of our roundtable series on youth sports, our panel discusses parents. Why do so many of them hover over their kids when it comes to playing games? What are the realities of nature vs. nurture as it relates to athletic success? How can parents communicate with their children in ways that will help them fall in love with sports, not turn away from them? Check out the videos to hear the opinions of our experts: Terry Liskevych (former USA Olympic volleyball coach, current coach at Oregon State), Lina Taylor (two-time beach volleyball Olympian, founder of Mission Soar) Jeff Hutzler (Athletic Director, La Jolla Country Day High School in San Diego) and Tom Farrey (ESPN journalist, author of “Game On,” founder of Project Play).
Unrealistic expectations
Competition and winning
Asking children questions rather than preaching
Avoiding making decisions for your children out of fear
Embracing failure
The pitfalls of structure