Does the ‘Perfect‘ Sports Dad Exist?
Have you ever felt like you are solely responsible for every decision your child makes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the rest of their lives??
The purpose of this article is to speak to the sports dads. Have you ever seen fathers being praised for “creating a star” when their child succeeds or blaming themselves when their child messes up... Why is this? This article explains why sport fathers today tend to do this.
The Intention of this article is to help you understand why the weight of your child's future rests entirely on you. It also explains the recent changes in society that contribute to this growing sense of impossible responsibility.
This article gives clarity by explaining that our society’s view of parenting is shifting. Parents used to be seen as one factor that affects their child’s future, but now parents are seen as the one and only thing that determines their child’s successes. This places an unrealistic expectation on parents and may make you think being a “good parent” is directly linked to what your child achieves.
PRESS PAUSE:
Take a second to reflect on how you feel when your child fails or succeeds. How do you define what success and failure is?
PONDER:
How does this make you think about the pressure you have been putting on yourself to make your child perfect?
PRACTICE:
Try to be mindful when you feel that how your child does is based off of things you did or didn’t do... that’s just society talking, you can try to be there and do everything you can for your child but you cannot control everything that happens to them or that they do in life. Just hang in there and do the best you can!!
Article Citation: Coakley, J. (2006). The Good Father: Parental Expectations and Youth Sports. Leisure Studies, 25(2), 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614360500467735