Little League coaches are often thought of as brash, hyper competitive, and overbearing. But that’s not really the case most of the time. A lot of coaches volunteer their time because they care about kids and want to help them have a good sports experience.
In fact, moms can learn a thing or two from the good guys on the diamond. Here’s what I learned when I came early to my son’s practice and heard what his coach was telling the boys.
1. Tune into their emotions. When I heard the baseball coach say, “I see a lot of sad faces out here today,” I knew that he was onto something. Too often we’re so busy that we miss the body language and facial expressions that could be great clues to how our children are feeling. So when you see a down face, or your child’s shoulders are drooping, take the time to tune in and talk to your child.
2. Kids are not little adults. The coach went on to remind the boys that they were 9 year olds and that he wasn’t upset with them for their on-field errors. Sometimes moms are so used to being around their children that they expect them to act a lot older than they are.
3. Play loose. If a baseball player is uptight, he’s more likely to make bad throws, strike out, and miss pop flies. A good coach, and a good mom, helps kids keep challenges and competitions in perspective by not putting pressure on them to win at all costs.
4. Have fun. If we can get our kids to play loose, we have to follow suit and remember to have fun with our kids. Yes, there are times we need to be serious and push them to achieve, but overall, we want our interactions with our children to be joyful.
5. Win or lose… A good coach will treat his team the same way in victory or defeat. For a mom, that means showing our children unconditional love no matter how they perform at school, on the field, or in life.
