A lot of professional football stars started when they were young. This is a trend that continues to this day. So we wanted to come up with something for the parents. These will be how you can help your budding football star. Football is a great game which can be used as a passport fort he rest of the world.

In the UK, football is our national sport. The game was born and nurtured right here in our shores. There is very little wonder as to why year after year there will be young people who will want to be part of the game.

When you are a parent, it is only natural to want the very best for your child. In the mind of a parent, sport can be a double-edged sword. A sport like football can have a lot of benefits but also carries its own series of risks. In order to properly guide and support your budding football star, here are a few tips for you:

Understand Your Role

When you are the parent of someone who wants to be a football player, it is critical that you understand the role that you will play in that journey. As the parent, you will be at the forefront of everything. Deciding on which club to enlist the child, the kind of after-school trainings, and so many other things need to be considered.

Major decisions will have to be made by both the parent and the child. Yes, the parent plays a huge role but remember it is the child that goes through the journey. They will have to form their own decisions based on the choices that the adults have carefully curated for them.

There are a lot of parents out there that often struggle with this. Just because that you will be funding the equipment and the lessons, this does not mean that you will make ALL the decisions. Understanding this role is critical if you want to raise a well-rounded individual and athlete.

Support the Coach Mindfully

While the coach of the team is the one who is calling the shots in the field, this does not mean that they do not need the help of the parent. Coaches are where they are because they have made it their responsibility to take something they love and pass it on to the younger generations.

Coaches will have their own ideas and ways of doing things and a parent must be mindful of this. The coach will come off as tough and the parent must not derail the lessons being taught. However, this also does not mean that you should blindly entrust your budding football player to someone else.

There have been instances wherein a coach has crossed the line or a coach that has lost sight of the players and focused on the game and results. A parent must be able to mindfully find a balance of supporting the coach and looking out for their child. It is important that the parent not be swept away by a charismatic coach and forget that they are the first line of defense for a child’s well-being.

Unclench

This is something that most parents forget to do when they have an athlete in the family. While the whole idea of a contact sport may be terrifying, being totally controlling will stunt the growth of your athlete.

The earlier that you are able to accept that you cannot control every minute details of your athlete’s journey the happier you will be in the long run. A lot of us struggled with parents that were quite controlling. Their heart was in the right place but their methods would prove to be detrimental—especially over prolonged periods of time.

A young football player will have injuries, sudden matches, urgent need for new equipment—the list goes on. As much as a parent will never allow their child to be injured, this is just something that they need to come to grips with. What is important is that the parent transforms their concern into ready contingency plans in case of any emergencies.

Establish Goals Together

When your child tells you that they want to be a football athlete, it is important to realize that this is a journey that you will take along with them. As such, it would be good if you sat down with your athlete and come up with realist goals together.

Having goals is important in maintaining the trajectory of growth for both the child and the parent. There are a lot of instances where the early wake up time can really put a hamper on things. The child may decide that it is okay to skip one day—it is up to the parent to help establish healthy habits. It is also important to nip any bad habits in the bud.

Being tough is often important when you are helping an athlete. Be prepared to feel like the bad guy sometimes. What is important is to spot any goals that are not at all healthy. Be prepared to fine tune your goals as time goes by. The needs of your child and what they are able to accomplish changes with time as well!

To Conclude

The parent/s has a HUGE role to play in the proper development of all future athletes. The world of both professional and amateur football in the UK can become the most toxic environment your child can know. This is why it is important to be present in their journey.

A lot of us had personal experience with playing football in our younger years. It was certainly not easy and that was already with supportive parents. If you have a youngster in your life that is showing a great interest in the beautiful game, make use of the tips above to help them is a positive and healthy way.

Sports parents are a crucial part of the journey. If you are a sports parent, do not get stuck in the sidelines. Be active in your role and the world can expect better athletes than yesterday.