A concise, practical newsletter helping families and youth sports leaders navigate youth sports with more perspective, less pressure, and greater purpose.
Don't Let Pressure Set the Agenda
Don't Let Pressure Set the AgendaIssue 005 - Fall Lead-In Series The season has a way of speeding everything up. For some families, this is the first week of official practices. Others have already started settling into the rhythm of games, carpools, and evening routines. Still others are counting down the days until the season begins. Wherever your family falls on the calendar, this is often the point where youth sports start asking for more of your attention: schedules fill up, expectations rise, conversations naturally drift toward playing time, performance, and what's coming next. None of that is unusual, but it is a good time to pause and ask a simple question: Is the season setting your family's agenda, or are you? 1 IdeaDon't confuse what's urgent with what's important One of the easiest ways for a sports season to get away from us is when the urgent begins crowding out the important. Most of us don't make that choice intentionally, and it happens a little at a time. A lineup changes. Your athlete has a tough practice. Another parent says something that sticks with you. You start wondering about playing time, comparing your child to someone else, or looking ahead to the next tournament before this week's practices are even finished. Those things aren't wrong to notice, and they're part of the experience, but they can quietly become the things that receive the most attention simply because they feel urgent. The things that matter most usually don't ask for our attention so loudly. Character is built through everyday choices. Confidence grows over time. Relationships deepen in conversations after practice, long drives together, and shared experiences. A genuine love of the game isn't built in one weekend or lost after one difficult performance. This week, try separating the two. Things that often feel urgent:
Things that remain important:
Don't ignore the urgent things. They matter too. But make sure they don't become the things that define your family's sports experience. I've never met a family who intended to make youth sports the center of family life. It usually happens one urgent moment at a time. The healthiest sports families don't let pressure decide what deserves the most attention. 1 Resource🎙️The Ultimate Sports Parent Podcast: The Role of Stress, Comparisons and Pressure in Youth Sports If this topic resonates with you, I think you'll enjoy a recent conversation I had with youth sports psychologist Lisa Cohn on The Ultimate Sports Parent podcast. We talked about many of the pressures families face throughout a sports season, including comparisons, expectations, and the challenge of keeping perspective when emotions are high.
Or find it wherever you listen to podcasts. 1 Conversation StarterTry asking your athlete early this next season: What was the best part of playing today that had nothing to do with how you performed? It reminds both of you that sports are about so much more than performance. Your child may even have a hard time answering the question based on everything sports is usually about, but it should trigger some helpful perspective-giving conversation. Worth RememberingDon't confuse what's urgent with what's important. From Rising Athlete ProjectOne theme you'll find throughout the Rising Athlete Field Guide Collection is that youth sports are a wonderful opportunity, but they're a poor foundation for a family's identity. The guides are filled with practical advice, but they're built around an even bigger goal: helping families keep sports in their proper place so they can enjoy all the good they have to offer without letting pressure become the driving force.
Did you miss any of the rest of the Fall Lead-In Series?
Be on the lookout for Issues 006-008 the remaining Tuesdays in August as we wrap up the Fall Lead-In Series and help you start this next season and school year with confidence. -- Stephen Anderson Founder, Rising Athlete Project P.S. Know a parent, coach, AD, or youth sports leader who would appreciate this? Feel free to forward it along. |
Rising Athlete Report
A concise, practical newsletter helping families and youth sports leaders navigate youth sports with more perspective, less pressure, and greater purpose.
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