Few parents go as far as Richard Williams, who began guiding his daughters Venus and Serena to Wimbledon triumph by developing an 85-page plan and instructing them on the public tennis courts of Compton, Los Angeles, every morning before school began. For the rest of us, parents can still play a critical role in instilling a love of sport and physical activity in their young children.
Claire-Marie Roberts, psychologist and head of coach development at the Premier League, states, “Parents and guardians play a crucial part in children’s initiation to sport, as their encouragement is the driving force behind the child’s persistence and progression.” Physical activity has physical, emotional, and social benefits for all children; thus, here is how to get your children moving.
“Getting youngsters involved in activities as early as possible sets a pattern… you can’t start too early,” adds Roberts. Take infants to the park, the pool, or a soft play center for some fun. Greg Rutherford, a former Olympic long jumper and father of two, concurs: “Throwing and catching is excellent for developing hand-eye coordination, and we make up crazy games like throwing a ball into pots and pans. It offers youngsters a positive relationship with physical activity.”
Integrate sport into everyday life
“A buggy is the quickest method to move a child from point A to point B, but if you take the time to walk or scoot, you will all reap the rewards,” says Roberts. If they want to see their buddies as adults, they will cycle without hesitation. Physical fitness in adolescence is favorably connected with physical activity in early infancy, according to research published in the Sport Journal.
Focus on acclaim rather than on enhancement.
Roberts states, “Acclaim is essential.” Even now, Steph Houghton, a former England football captain, says she needs “a little amount of praise to feel acknowledged for the effort and energy I provide.”
It is also about focusing on “their effort and eagerness to learn,” according to Roberts. Chris Hoy, a former Olympic cyclist, and father of two concur: “Although my son lost his first taekwondo competition, he was very pleased with his effort. We encourage him, “Don’t worry about other people; you weren’t the best that day, but you’re better than a week ago and you’re enjoying yourself.”
Grade school level
Try as many diverse sports as possible.
Now is the moment to introduce as many things as possible to children. The same thing happened to Hoy, Rutherford, and Houghton. “My parents urged me to explore a variety of activities for various reasons,” explains Houghton. Therefore, taekwondo was about discipline and respect, but football was about competition and teamwork. Through exposure, youngsters will discover an activity they enjoy and continue to pursue it.
Participate yourself
Signing them up and delivering them is not sufficient. Roberts explains that if parents are actively involved, it “sets healthy behavioral models, so exercise becomes the norm in that family.” This was the case in the family of the swimmer Rebecca Adlington. “Our family was usually out and about on the weekends,” she explains. “This way of living had a significant impact on me.”
When Rutherford was a child, his father “worked hard hours as a builder, but he always played football with me — that was our opportunity to bond.” Former British No. 1 tennis player Johanna Konta has happy recollections of running with her father in the mornings. “We raced to the summit of this cliff-top golf course before sunrise. That made a profound impression.”
Roberts emphasizes the participation of both parents: “Unfortunately, in normal heterosexual family groups, it is typically the father who models sport and exercise. Both parents must contribute equally.”
Make it a reward, not a chore.
Make a bike trip or 10 minutes of keeps-up-cup a reward rather than a chore.
“Sport was a benefit,” adds Hoy. “If I had high grades, I could go to the BMX track. If a child does not enjoy sports, he or she should persevere; simply go on a stroll, ride a bike, or bounce on a trampoline — you never see anyone frowning on a trampoline.
Roberts proposes incorporating physical activity into daily life: “Don’t make it a separate task; it’s a reward, a method of transportation, or a way to socialize.”
Find their passion, not yours “Parents frequently utilize their children as channels for their unfulfilled ambitions,” says Roberts. However, the child’s voice must be heard. Rutherford concurs: “If my children express an interest in athletics in the future, I will encourage them, but I won’t compel them because I enjoyed it.” Adlington ultimately broke world records in a sport in which her parents had no interest.
Hoy suggests discussing your children’s interests with them and then guiding them on that path since they will have greater enjoyment. He recalls “youth being carried across the country to race, then quitting as soon as they could make their judgments. The main reason I still ride my bike is that I’ve never lost my passion for it.”
Teenagers
Assist them in overcoming tribulations.
This age group often grows more competitive in sports, and a single negative experience can deter a child. The objective for Roberts is to identify the positives, with an emphasis on effort and development.
The commute home used to be a turning point for Hoy. “If a competition didn’t go well, I would be quiet and grumpy, but my father would wait until I started talking before asking, ‘Why do you think that happened?’… I never felt truly depressed after a conversation with my father.” Adlington’s parents took a similar approach: “When I became frustrated or withdrawn, they would give me space and discuss the situation with me when I was ready.”
Roberts suggests “encouraging children to think and explaining that everyone experiences disappointments — even the most successful athletes.” Rutherford concurs: “I’ve experienced much more unpleasant days than good.”
Control puberty
According to research conducted by the nonprofit organization Women in Sport, 43 percent of girls who earlier considered themselves sporty disengage from sports at the secondary school level. Changing bodies, hormonal breakouts, and periods continue to be significant issues for girls.
Adlington recalls being self-conscious as a teen: “I was significantly bigger than my peers. I too had suffered from acne, so it wasn’t always easy.” She overcome this by focusing on what her body could do as opposed to how it appeared: “Swimming gave me confidence because I was good at it.”
Konta suggests normalizing discomfort and even feeling “grossed out by yourself – everybody goes through that – but it’s essential to explain that it’s temporary.”
Regarding periods, Roberts advocates discussing them. In her early 20s, Konta wore black shorts when she was on her period, but in her mid-20s, she decided to wear white shorts instead.
Different rates of growth are a prevalent issue for guys. Hoy recalls playing rugby as a 14-year-old against a boy “who was 6 feet 2 inches tall and had a mustache, so physically I was getting pummelling.” The event taught him a valuable lesson: “Everyone matures at a different pace. Everyone reaches a point of equilibrium between the ages of 18 and 19 where they no longer feel as though they are regressing.
Let them be teenagers
Teenagehood is difficult, so give them some slack. Roberts states, “By preventing them from attending parties due to training, we do them a disservice.” Houghton agrees: “Normal adolescent experiences are essential.” But, she argues, “if you want to accomplish something correctly, you must be willing to make compromises. My parents recognized that I required a period of maturation and self-discovery, but if I had training on Sunday morning, my father would not release me on Saturday night. If I had attempted to make those choices without their input, I probably would not have been as successful as I am. It’s all about balance.”
Accept if they want to quit “At this age, their rising autonomy is crucial,” adds Roberts, so accept if your child wants to discontinue a particular sport. At age 14, Hoy told his father that he no longer enjoyed BMX: “He said it was fine. I expressed interest in going mountain riding, so we rented bikes together. He could have pushed me, and it could have prevented me from ever riding a bicycle again.”
Houghton was also permitted to drop a sport: “I did not have the same motivation for taekwondo, so I informed my parents that I wanted to focus on football. I had given it my all, and they acknowledged that.”
