Good Sport

Book excerpt: Are you a parent who wants to be a part of their child’s sport journey, no matter how far they go? Do you sometimes feel just as frustrated as your young athlete with the debrief during the journey home after the game? Perhaps you struggle to find the right words to say — or sometimes not to say — to your child, so have resorted to saying nothing at all. Dr Jay-Lee Nair has the answers. This book will help you learn how best to support and talk to your child not just before before, but during and after the game. Recent events surrounding sport icons, such as Adam Goodes, Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, have shown us that athletes are taking greater ownership of their performance and ‘calling the shots’ in the most difficult of circumstances. This is possible when an athlete has a collaborative support team. The same applies for young athletes at all stages of their career and at all levels of their sport. They benefit from having a support team of their parents, coaches and teachers, who understand the importance of helping them to be independent and adaptable. This generation can be highly resistant to advice and direction from their supporters. Young athletes want to be empowered to think for themselves during the game and adapt quickly on their own. This book is for parents, coaches and teachers who want to help their young athletes thrive in competitive environments – whether they are just starting out or competing at an elite level. It is for those who believe in the power sport has to positively shape children into exceptional adults — and athletes — while preventing anxiety and pressure in the sport journey.