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Thank you for being a parent and thank you for letting your child play sports, as it can build and develop so many characteristics that can help them be successful later in life. Frederick Douglass once said, “It is easier to build up strong children than it is to repair broken men.” Parenting is hard – unless being perfect is natural for you. Parenting an athlete can be even harder at times because it is so public. It might not seem easy to build up strong children and raise them the right way – especially, when it comes to their athletic careers – but it is so worth it. All we must do is turn on the TV, scroll through social media, or interact with people on a daily basis and we see the need for more positive values such as respect, responsibility, and gratitude. When we positively develop our children, we are helping to influence and shape the future. Our children are the future leaders. How will they be taught to lead? Sports is a microcosm of life and a great means by which to teach our children lessons that they might not experience as much or as quickly otherwise. Just like we want our children to be better members of the community, we also want them to be the most valuable teammate that they can be for their team. In the same way, as parents we can also play a big part in making the team better. Here are 9 ways that you can be the most valuable parent on your child’s team …
Best-selling author of Leadership Interrupted: daily inspiration to become the leader you were meant to be, and iAthlete: Impacting Student-Athletes of a Digital Generation, Kevin DeShazo is the founder of Fieldhouse Media. He is a sought after speaker, having presented on over 80 campuses as well is a regular presenter at conferences and conventions, including NACDA, CoSIDA, the NCAA Convention and the Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium. He has also been quoted on ESPN.com, The New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sports Business Journal and a variety of other national and local media outlets. Kevin is also the founder of Culture Wins Championships, helping leaders in the sports industry build a championship culture with their team. Kevin was also honored as an Innovator of the Year for FieldTrack, our web-based platform that monitors social media activity of student-athletes and coaches. Oklahoma City is home for Kevin along with his wife Megan and their three boys, Gabe, Noah and Asher.
