Sound familiar? It could not be further from the truth. You see, not every child aspires to win a World Cup, World Series or Wimbledon title. Parents need to get over that. Expectations are the things that get in the way of growing a passion for something, especially In kids. In fact, It’s simply fun and interaction with others that kids seek most from sports.

Parents and coaches: Are we promoting and fostering this love of simply participating, or are we just selfishly thinking of how good this kid could be? Remember that your worth as a parent is not judged on your kid’s performances or results, but rather on how they are coachable and respectful.

Let’s rather focus on fun and building better life skills, using sport as a medium to teach solid values, the rewards of effort, a great attitude and the lessons of embracing the journey. Great coaches, parents and teachers build champions for life, not just a sport. Anyhow, the best athletes or ones who make it are the ones who push themselves because they want to. Let’s grow an intrinsic passion, instead of an extrinsic and even sometimes ‘egotistically’ driven goal.