The Joys and Challenges of Watching Kids Play Sports
As a parent, there are countless unexpected joys, and one of them has been watching my children play sports. I’ve never been particularly athletic, and the most I ever did in school was participate in novelty races. However, it has been a delightful surprise to see how much I enjoy watching my kids thrive in various sporting activities.
Our weeks are filled with swimming, running, basketball, netball, tennis, soccer, and dance classes. 
The kids love these activities, and we thoroughly enjoy watching them excel or simply have a good time trying.
Lately, though, I’ve become more aware of a shift from just giving it a go to feeling the pressure to win at all costs. Childhood should be a time to enjoy sport, but somewhere along the way, it’s become a competitive minefield of pushy parents convinced their kids are elite athletes.
Don’t get me wrong, we all love seeing our kids perform well, but certainly not by encouraging them to behave badly or cheat to win. My son was recently in a race where he was impeded by another competitor at the finish line while his parents cheered him on. At that moment, I realized that we are raising our kids differently – I’d rather an honest last place than a sneaky first. 
Preserve the Playfulness
My husband, Matt, who has won Olympic medals and held world records, has always recognized the importance of enjoying sport as a kid. He understands the value of learning from victories and losses and not taking it too seriously until you’re old enough to handle the pressure. It’s far more important to develop good people through sport than just by collecting trophies.
We want them to look back fondly on their childhood, whether they win or lose. 
Focus on Fun
Let’s foster a love of sport and fair play and resist the urge to live vicariously through our kids. They learn from our behavior – and being banned from one of their soccer games is never a good look.
Teach them to be good sports, that a medal of any color is a huge achievement, and that even participating is a success. And remember – there are no elite athletes at eight, so calm down parents and let your kids just get out there and enjoy playing sport.
