Ian Goldberg is a sports dad, coach and the Founder of iSport360. His SportsTech company is helping 80,000 youth sport coaches, parents and kids set goals, share player feedback, foster healthy team communication and engage parents in a positive way….all so our kids can have more success, more confidence and more fun. Try iSport360 for free here.
A big theme in our newsletter lately has been about youth athlete “Self Awareness”…..getting our kids to take ownership of their role, their performance and their development as players and as people. ESPN sports broadcaster and former Olympic softball player Jessica Mendoza shares her advice with us: “Just let the kids play”.
Clear Advice: Just Let Them Play
She encourages the counter-intuitive: Let them make mistakes, let them fail, let them learn on their own, let them learn from one another. Although we know it is extremely hard to watch, our kids will be better athletes and better people for it. So when you find yourself on the sideline yelling instructions to your child, think about Jessica’s advice and just let them play.
At iSport360, we admire Liberty Mutual’s Play Positive initiative which renews the spirit of sportsmanship in youth sports. If your club needs to renew its spirit of sportsmanship, please try our app at www.iSport360.com.