A concise, practical newsletter helping families and youth sports leaders navigate youth sports with more perspective, less pressure, and greater purpose.
Use the Rest of Summer Wisely
Use the Rest of Summer WiselyIssue 003 - Fall Lead-In Series Summer gradually slips away one ordinary day at a time ... until suddenly the fall season begins. As you squeeze in any final trips, family get-togethers, late nights with no alarm clocks in the morning, it's not long before backpacks reappear, practice schedules arrive, and another sports season is underway. Depending on where you live, your athlete may already be starting fall sports practices, or gearing up to start, or still have a few weeks before the first whistle. Wherever your family falls on the calendar, this is a worthwhile moment to pause before the pace picks up. A little intentional preparation now can make the transition into sports season much smoother. 1 IdeaParents often spend a lot of time preparing their athlete for the season. It's just as important to prepare your family for it. When we think about preseason, our minds naturally go to the athlete: getting back in shape, touching a ball again, breaking in new shoes, and finding a healthy sleep routine. Those are all worthwhile parts of getting ready, but every sports season changes more than an athlete's schedule. It changes the entire family's rhythm. Practices begin to fill evenings. Weekends start revolving around tournaments or games. Family dinners become a little more rushed. Emotions rise and fall with wins, losses, playing time, injuries, and expectations. Before long, it can feel like everyone is simply reacting to whatever comes next. The healthiest sports families don't accidentally navigate those changes well. They enter the season with intention. That doesn't mean having every answer before the first game. It means recognizing that parents have preparation to do, too. Athletes prepare their bodies. Parents can prepare their perspective. Take the steps now so your family can enjoy the season more later. 1 Resource🎙️Let's Parent on Purpose Podcast: Are Youth Sports and Extracurricular Activities Enslaving Your Family? This episode will help you prepare. Rather than focusing on drills or training plans, host Jay Holland asks bigger-picture questions about priorities, expectations, family rhythms, and what we ultimately want youth sports to accomplish. By thinking through these questions as parents and families, you'll be anticipating and getting ahead of any issues that may arise rather than reacting to them in the moment. It's certainly worth a listen, and the show notes include written versions of the questions you can quickly refer to.
1 Conversation StarterAsk your athlete: "What's one thing we can do this week to make the first day feel less stressful?" Maybe it's finding equipment that's been tucked away since spring. Maybe it's starting to adjust to an earlier bedtime. Maybe it's getting outside together to shoot baskets, kick a soccer ball, or simply go for a walk, and discuss the upcoming school year and sports season. Preparation isn't about doing more. It's about doing the right things together. Worth RememberingAthletes prepare their bodies. Parents can prepare their perspective. From Rising Athlete ProjectEvery sports season brings a new set of transitions, for athletes and families. The Rising Athlete Project exists to help parents navigate those transitions with practical resources, thoughtful conversations, and encouragement along the way. If you or someone you know is entering a new stage of youth sports this fall, consider sharing one of our free resources:
Because a healthier season often starts before the season ever begins. If you missed last week's issue, you can read it here: Every Great Athlete Started Somewhere Ordinary -- 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.
When Reality Doesn't Match Expectations Issue 007 - Fall Lead-In Series A few weeks ago, much of the fall sports season existed mostly on paper. There were schedules, open gyms, summer workouts, and plenty of expectations about what the months ahead might look like. Now, for many families, the picture is starting to become a little clearer. Maybe your athlete is playing exactly the role they expected. Maybe they're playing a different position, competing against stronger teammates, or finding...
The Ride Home Matters Issue 006 - Fall Lead-In Series There are two very different versions of the ride home in youth sports. After a game, parents have often seen almost everything. We watched the great play, the missed opportunity, the interaction with the coach, the questionable call, and the body language on the bench. By the time our athlete gets in the car, we may have spent the last hour accumulating things we'd like to talk about. After a practice, tryout, or open gym, the opposite...
Don't Let Pressure Set the Agenda Issue 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,...