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If it were up to most parents, children would come with manuals on handling their ingenuity, imagination, creativity, and courage. Every child is creative in their own way. While most children are born with innate talents, they have various levels of potentiality. Most people have experience playing football or other sports as children, and while it was usually for fun, numerous kids are genuinely talented in this area.
If your child is interested in honing their skill at a specific sport or even pursuing it professionally as they grow, it is only right and natural to want to help them. Many kids want to join the NFL, and for this to happen, you should be their cheerleader as early as possible. Whether you are an NFL fan yourself and even occasionally make NFL picks against the spread on an online site or not, here are some ways to support your kid’s talent.
Want to help your child develop a love for playing football? Here are six ways moms can nurture their child's interest in the sport.Click To Tweet1. Instill confidence in playing football
One of the best things parents and coaches could give young players is opportunity and confidence. Some players find most aspects of playing football easy and naturally exude confidence because of their personalities. However, others struggle to give the game their best or believe in themselves.
Fortunately, confidence is something your child can work on, and by instilling this value in them, they are more likely to improve and exhibit higher energy.
Some ways to do this are offering positive feedback and reminding your kid of their hard work. As you accompany them to practice or matches, be intentional with your words as they’ll carry them to the field.
2. Allow them to make mistakes while playing football
No one likes an overbearing superior who’s always highlighting their mistakes, including your child. Instill the importance of learning from errors but allow them to make them without constantly bringing them up.
3. Inspire mental hardiness
Practicing and preparing the body for playing football is crucial but being mentally prepared is different. The fear of failure is a real phenomenon among athletes, and your child isn’t immune.
So, it is vital to help your kid cultivate their mental toughness by:
- Helping them look to the future
- Focusing on the positives
- Being their rock and not showing disappointment
- Letting them own their performance
4. Give your child a sense of agency
Youth sports are not professional sports, so treat them as such. It is imperative to give your children agency because children typically lose interest in sports and pursue other exploits where you won’t get a chance to scrutinize their mistakes and performance constantly.
Coaching or teaching football skills has its place but remember to give them autonomy.
5. Make sure they have the right equipment for playing football
The right equipment will set your child up for success at practice and on actual game days. Invest in quality equipment that your kid can use for years.
Always ensure that they are hydrated both before and after training and games. Dehydration can affect their performance or, worse, lead to health issues.
6. Allow your kids some play time away from the football field
Kids will always be kids, and although yours may be passionate about football, they still have child-like sensibilities. Give them enough time for unstructured playtime where they have the freedom to do whatever they want with their group of friends.
It allows kids to learn and develop the social skills they need to navigate life well into adulthood. It also shapes them into personable young people that get along with their peers.
Final Thoughts
Although most kids that are good at sports are naturally born with this talent, it takes cultivating their skills to reach a certain level of performance and excellence. These tips are great for any parent intent on supporting their child’s football talent and helping them polish their technique.
Did you or your children have any interest in playing football?
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
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