Things every soccer parent should know

Becoming a top level athlete is not easy and takes a lot of work. Sometimes, as parents, you want what is best for your child. Often, those good intentions can result in too much pressure or the weight of expectations getting to your child. Here are some things that parents of kids in sport should know:

It takes time

Every child develops and matures at a different rate. It is wrong to have some baseline expectation of where your child should be at this point in his (or her) life. Some children develop early, and others are late bloomers.

Practice

When a kid learns something new at practice or a soccer clinic, that lesson does not transfer to the field automatically. Every kid needs to practice at home for at least 20 minutes every day. Once he masters a new skill, he should move on to the next. Becoming a better soccer player involves constant learning.

Play hard

Teach your children a good work ethic. Every time they go to practice, they should give the session everything they have. When they play a game, then they will automatically give it everything they have.

Prepare

A player with good discipline prepares for the game the night before. Your child should eat a healthy dinner, get all her clothes and gear ready. Make your children responsible for themselves. Scrambling in the morning to get everything together means that he/she is already distracted when they should focus on the upcoming game.