Living Vicariously through your kids

As parents, we tend to make the mistake of living our dreams of making it big through our kids. We tend to push them to levels we think will get them that scholarship, that level that will get them in the pros. In our eyes we feel like we are helping them. But are we really hurting them? As a parent of talented young athletes I tend to fall into this category. I feel that my kids should push themselves to a place they have never been to get to where they need to get. The question here is, but is that what my child wants? Do I push for my own agenda? Do I feel like my child can do better? Go further than I ever did? The answer to that is yes. I want them to succeed. But at what cost? We have to turn around and look in the mirror and ask ourselves, is this what my athlete wants? If you don’t know the answer to that, you are pushing for the wrong reasons. Sports are to be fun and to learn about teamwork and comradery it is also about life lessons. Learn to win with grace and lose with it as well. Sports as in life will always have a winner and a loser. We need to make sure we start with that and the rest will take care of itself.