• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Header Logo
  • About Us
  • Podcast
  • Blog
    • All Articles
    • A Healthy Athlete
    • Coaching and Team Culture
    • Lifestyle
    • Sports Parenting
    • High Performance
    • Mindset and Mental Health
    • Girls Sports
    • Ask Dr. Sam
  • Inspiration & Humor
  • Videos
  • Join the Community
Facebook Instagram Twitter youtube pinterest

As seen in

6 Common Mistakes Even Well-Meaning Sports Parents Make (And How to Avoid Them)

  • 79shares
  • 79
  • 0

6 Common Mistakes Even Well-Meaning Sports Parents Make (And How to Avoid Them)

6 Common Mistakes Even Well-Meaning Sports Parents Make (And How to Avoid Them). We’ve all seen that parent on the sideline. But the truth is, most of the time, it’s not the yelling or the drama that hurts kids in sports—it’s the smaller, less obvious moments that quietly chip away at their confidence, joy, or motivation.

And often, it’s coming from the parents who care the most.

How to do Youth Sports Cheaper and Better

Here’s the good news: with just a few mindset shifts, you can be the steady, empowering presence your child actually needs in their sports journey.

Here are six of the most common mistakes even great sports parents make… and what to do instead.


1. Talking too much after the game

It’s tempting—we want to process the highs and lows with them. But most kids just want food, a shower, and some peace.

Try this instead:
Let them lead. If they talk, listen. If they don’t, just be there. Your presence is powerful even without words.


2. Making effort = praise and performance = pressure

When we only celebrate wins or great plays, we teach kids that love and pride are performance-based.

Try this instead:
Praise effort, mindset, sportsmanship, and resilience. They’ll start to value the parts of the game they can actually control.


3. Stepping in too fast when things get tough

The bad coach. The mean teammate. The benching. We want to protect them—but growth lives in the hard stuff.

Try this instead:
Help them problem-solve instead of fixing it for them. Ask, “What do you think your options are?” instead of jumping in with answers.


4. Comparing their path to someone else’s

It’s easy to look around and panic—more private training, more travel teams, more “exposure.” But more isn’t always better.

Try this instead:
Trust your kid’s timeline. Development isn’t linear. Stay focused on what they need right now, not what someone else is doing.


5. Assuming their goals match yours

Just because you could see them going D1, doesn’t mean they want to. 

Try this instead:
Ask open-ended questions: “What do you love about this?” “What are you hoping to get out of this season?”  “What are your goals?” Their answers might surprise you.


6. Forgetting to enjoy it

We get so caught up in logistics, improvement, and future goals that we forget to soak in the good stuff—the friendships, the car rides, the joy.

Try this instead:
Look for the tiny wins. Celebrate the fun. Remember: one day, you’ll miss this.


 

Primary Sidebar

  • Raising Sisters in Sports and What the Humphrey Family Got Right
  • When Grandparents Attend Youth Sports Events
  • ☀️Youth Sports Summer Survival Guide: 10 Things Every Parent Needs
  • Raising A Goalkeeper
  • If All Else Fails: How Brain-Based Therapy Can Help Athletes Overcome Mental Blocks, Injuries, and Slumps 
  • Managing Performance Anxiety in Young Athletes: An Easy Guide for Parents, Coaches, and Athletes

Categories

  • A Healthy Athlete
  • Sports Parenting
  • Coaching and Team Culture
  • High Performance
  • Lifestyle
  • Mindset

Footer

WHAT'S TRENDING IN YOUTH SPORTS?
Asia Mape Video
follow us
facebook instagram twitter youtube pinterest

We Believe In The Power Of Sports

Injuries in young athletes have soared. Costs to compete have skyrocketed. Kids are quitting in record numbers. But we believe strongly in youth sports, and the many ways it improves our childrens’ lives.

We are here to help parents regain balance and sanity, and to help restore the joy, accomplishment, and core values derived from sports.

Begin your journey today.

 

More About Us

Join the Community

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for the latest news, articles, inspiration, stats, funny videos, tips and everything you need if you are a parent or coach in youth sports, delivered right to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About the founder

According to a survey conducted over 30 years by two coaches and athletic administrators about what young athletes want to hear most from their parents after a sporting event, it turns out it is: “I love to watch you play.”

Become a Contributor

Advertising/Media

Contact

Privacy Policy/Amazon Affiliate Notification

Copyright 2025 © I Love To Watch You Play. All rights reserved. | Accessibility Feedback | Developed by Tiny Frog Technologies

Join Our Community

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for the latest news, articles, inspiration, stats, funny videos, tips and everything you need if you are a parent or coach in youth sports, delivered right to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for our newsletter
  • Sign up for our weekly newsletter for the latest news, articles, inspiration, stats, funny videos, tips and everything you need if you are a parent or coach in youth sports delivered right to your inbox!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.