One of the toughest parts of youth sports is teaching your child how to be a good loser. If you find yourself struggling to pick your child up after a game or match, here are some tips the experts give on turning a loss into a learning experience.
Lindsay Vera with Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) tells parents to remind players that the biggest thing to keep in mind is that it’s just a game. “The best thing to do is to talk about the things they did well and the things they could have done better.”
According to Lindsay, you should remind them before their next practice or game so they can reach their goal, just like a test in school.
Pete Gibson with West Raleigh Baseball sees both success and failure as a building block. “You say, this is what we did well, and this is where we need to improve. Everyone is here to have fun and improve their skills.”
At Raleigh Youth Hockey, Steve Henley said losing is a good learning experience. “Make sure they know they’re going to win and lose throughout life. They should learn at a young age that it’s not just success that matters.”
To hear more tips from these coaches and more, check out the current issue of Active Alex.