The Role of Parents in the Sports Development of Their Children

The importance of physical exercise is notable at all ages in which it is practiced: from the decrease in the effects of aging to the development of social skills in childhood. And it is at this stage that it places the most emphasis.

But, of course, in childhood one is not completely self-sufficient, so adult support is necessary. What is the role of fathers and mothers in the sports development of their children? Let’s look at it, reviewing those aspects of day-to-day training in which they intervene directly or indirectly.

Fathers and mothers regarding the sports development of their children

From a few decades ago until today, sport has become more relevant in all homes. The multitude of extracurricular activities offered by different organizations have made sport an alternative leisure.

Gone is the lack of involvement of fathers and mothers in the sports practice of their sons and daughters who went out to play in the park without any danger and avoided “getting into trouble.”

Nowadays the interest of parents has been growing little by little, considering sport as a beneficial practice for the physical, social, health and leisure development of your sons and daughters s, thus taking the sports practice of each member of the family a much greater importance and helping to create and strengthen family synergy.

In many cases, this practice requires the commitment and dedication of the fathers and mothers who They become the main means of transportation to attend training and competitions, help physical and psychological recovery in injuries and promote healthy lifestyle habits. The participation of one or more sports in each member of the family generates an economic expense and a family organization that goes beyond sports.

The benefits of sport

That fathers and mothers invest so much time and effort in the physical exercise of their sons and daughters is not nonsense, and it is that It is proven that practicing sports has innumerable benefits: takes care of our physical health (improves circulation, strengthens the heart, better oxygenates the brain…) and mental health through the improvement of cognitive processes such as attention, memory or language and psychological well-being through variables such as self-esteem or self-concept, helps in academic performance thanks to its “de-stressing power” and motivation that serves as positive reinforcement, promotes values ​​such as respect, cooperation, equality or tolerance and is a basis for social learning among others.

Ways to participate in your training

The role that fathers and mothers decide to take in sports with their sons and daughters will be fundamental for their subsequent development in it, hence the importance of evaluating and assessing the involvement of young people with their sport Depending on the needs that the boy or girl demands, parents must adapt their stimulation to a greater or lesser extent and in one direction or another to avoid risk situations such as Burnout (or “burned athlete”), injuries or paying for the child. sport practice.

Likewise, the role of the father or mother should not be mixed with that of the coach, since This would cause an intercontextual conflict that would affect the sporting life of the boy or girl in different aspects. Coherence and cooperation must be the cornerstone of the relationship between both for the athlete’s own good.

Enjoying sport, learning with it and improving thanks to it, are the three fundamental premises in grassroots sports that should not be mixed with high competition or performance sports. Terms that unfortunately, today are diffused at very early ages.

The implication that fathers and mothers can dedicate their sons and daughters to sports It must encourage its practice and contribute to the good psychological and mental functioning of the athlete, turning sport into a common bond that proposes new goals and joint hobbies, that respects the autonomy of the boy or girl and that progressively achieves the integral development of the athlete. through a stable and lasting parent-child union.