As an athlete, of course you talk about basketball with your teammates, coaches, friends, teachers, family, and parents. Are both of your parents involved in your basketball career? If not, which one is a little more than the other? The reason I am asking is because parents have the best intentions for their kids but sometimes they go about it in a way that doesn’t motivate you to keep performing your hardest. Let me explain.
Parents always want the best for their kids. They want to make sure they are happy, working hard, trying their best, and interested in improving. So, lets say your father was a basketball star. His coach used to yell in his face, tell him he was never good enough, made him drill certain skills for hours, etc.Your father used that type of coaching as motivation, made him work harder, and make him the best athlete he could have been. Due to this working for him when he was an athlete, he thinks this is the best way to coach you as well. Well, not everyone likes to be coached the same way.
If you feel like a parent is just trying to help, but not doing it the way you like to be coached, you have the right to let them know what works best for you. The thing is, communication is key with your parents. Maybe they don’t know it is hard for you to meet their exceptions, or they expect you to be the best at all times, have higher standards than your own, or get upset when you make a mistake in a game. They could be accidentally putting a lot of pressure on you. Communicate with your parents so you and them can both have a clear mind while competing and peace of mind in general. The last thing you want is to have a bad relationship with your parents over miscommunication. Take the first step and speak up. I promise you it will help with your athletic performance.
Written by:
Sarah Grippi
Basketball Mindset