Are You Unintentionally Short-Circuiting Your Athlete Child's Success on the Field?
I recently had an amazing conversation with my good friend Matt Hannaford, and we dove deep into the world of parenting and coaching young athletes.
As parents, we often find ourselves wanting to think for our kids, especially when we think we have the answers. But Matt and I talked about the power of stepping back and asking the right questions instead. It’s all about helping our kids develop their own decision-making skills and learn from their experiences. Here’s a little snippet from our chat that I think you’ll find really insightful and practical. Enjoy!
Johan Martinez-Khalilian:
As a parent, especially if you’re a parent of an athlete, part of your job is to help your child think for themselves. But the temptation for you as a parent is going to be for you to think for them. And we don’t know how we’re really short-circuiting their development. But if we can sit down with them and say, “Hey, why’d you do that? What was your decision-making process?”
Matt Hannaford:
It’s an interesting mind shift. Because when you don’t just offer it up and you ask them the question for them to really think through and ponder, that’s when you’ll see them start to do the work.
Johan Martinez-Khalilian:
Yes. And the thing is, they will remember it when they lift that weight.
How often do we get frustrated, “I’ve told you this 10 times…” Instead of saying “you need to remember,” instead of thinking to myself, “I need to stop telling.” I need to hold a space and ask questions. Because if I do that, you’ll figure it out quicker, you’ll remember it. And then now you can actually go implement it.
To watch the full conversation and gain deeper insights, check out the clip on Instagram at The Advocate Podcast. For more in-depth episodes and discussions, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
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