This article by Bruce E. Brown of Proactive Coaching, from the "Parents and Coaches Working Together" collection, is a letter written in the voice of parents to a young athlete beginning their first sports experience. It expresses the hopes and expectations parents should hold for their child in athletics – joy in playing, love of the sport, resilience, sportsmanship, honor and respect – and closes with a reminder of parental pride.
A Parent's Wish: An Athlete's First Experience
I hope you get the opportunity to experience both winning and losing and can do so with equal grace, but I want you to understand that the real purpose of sports is the joy and satisfaction of playing.
I hope you develop a true love for the sport so you can have fun, feel good about yourself and learn the essential life lessons regardless of the outcome.
I hope you learn to set goals and work hard to improve but when things do not go well, I want you to be determined, persistent and resilient, never giving up or giving in.