Youth sports don’t look much like they did a decade or two
ago. For one thing, they are a lot more difficult and demanding (i.e. less
fun!). Many young athletes play all year long, and their parents are forced to
invest large amounts of money toward specialized training, travel, and more. The really sad thing is that a big part of the reason
parents feel compelled to do all these things is because they believe in common
sports myths, things we’ve come to think about youth sports that aren’t even in
the least bit true.
Below, you’ll learn about some of the most common and most
devastating sports myths that many parents swear by. You can break the cycle by
not continuing to believe in or promote these myths and by finding your child a
sports team or league that doesn’t either!
Myth #1: Your Child
Should Focus on One Sport and One Sport Only
You’ve probably had a coach tell you that if your child is
going to be a successful athlete- maybe even a pro- he needs to focus all of
his attention on his chosen sport, and lots of attention at that.
This information is just plain false on so many levels.
First of all, if you only allow your little one to play one sport and force him
to play and practice it non-stop, it’s almost guaranteed that he’ll experience
“burnout,” which makes your child less likely to continue with sports at all,
much less become a pro.
To make matters worse, many studies have shown that children
who specialize in one sport have a much higher risk of injury, often due to
overuse and overworking of their young, growing muscles.
And, believe it or not, college coaches and other industry
pros actually PREFER young athletes who have multi-sport backgrounds. That’s
because children learn more skills and become more well-rounded athletes and
people by involvement in multiple sports, so ditch the solo-sport attitude, and
allow your little one to explore his options!
Myth #2: Winning is
Everything!
Sure, we all tell our kids, “It’s not whether you win or lose;
it’s how well you play the game,” but do we ever really mean it? If we’re being
honest with ourselves, most of us don’t. We’re too focused on success, winning,
and trying to turn our children into professional athletes.
While it’s okay to want to win, it’s very important that
you, as a parent, and your child’s coaches place the main focus of sports on
playing, having fun, building skills, and learning and growing, NOT on winning.
Focusing solely on winning is never a good thing, but it’s especially damaging
to young athletes, who can’t cope with that type of pressure.
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