Marcus R. Davis
Fun, protection and growth is what this guide is attempting to communicate to parents or anyone how has an adolescent involved in youth sports. Youth sports can be an amazing time in a child’s life it teaches a multitude of skills, provides them with confidence and belief in their ability. It teaches them, and sometimes their parents, how to handle winning and losing, how to respect their opponent regardless of the outcome. However, of all that youth sports can offer a child, their parents still give them the most. More than anything else children are looking to their parents for guidance and stability they will learn more from their parent’s behavior and attitude than they would ever learn from a coach or winning and losing.
The Other Parents Guide to Youth Sports will assist parents in their participation in finding and building the proper environment for their child to mature and become skilled at their sport of choice.
My name is Marcus R. Davis I’m currently coaching girls at the high school level and am heavily involved in the high school’s feeder program. I’ve been coaching for many years the majority of those years have been at the youth level, I am still coaching at the youth level along with the high school team. Coaching is what I love, but my position in sales is what pays the bills. I have a wonderful wife and three fantastic children and above all else I consider myself a husband and father first and foremost, there is no greater honor than to be a parent, a father. My wife and I have been given the privilege to directly contribute to the existence of another human being and to immediately effect change in their life. To, hopefully, steer them in a way that will be pleasing to God and will help them to achieve all they wish and dream of accomplishing. To instill in them that all things or possible if they remain focused on the God in heaven.
Youth sports have become big business children all over the country between the ages of seven and thirteen are suiting up and playing their little hearts out. The amount of money that parents are spending on fees and equipment for their children to participate in their sport of choice can be very expensive. Parents also spend countless of hours taking their children to practices, scrimmages and games and because so much money and time is spent parents should make sure they are getting the highest value possible.
It’s your money, time, and more importantly your child, do all you can to ensure that they are in a program that will permit your child the most fun, protection and growth. As a parent, it is primarily your responsibility to make certain that you know what the program is all about and who will be interacting with your child. It is your responsibility to encourage your child to have fun, to help your child deal with losing and winning, to show them what good sportsmanship looks like and how to show respect to others involved.
A parent’s behavior during and after a youth sporting event will make the difference on how the child interprets the event, your behavior will be a signal to your child on how they should behave. You, the parent, will determine how much fun and enjoyment your child will have. You will determine how your child develops as a player and as a person. You will directly influence your child’s character by how you conduct yourself and how you interact with their coaches, referrers, other parents and their teammates. Your child will be watching how you relate with others during this time, just as much as you will be watching them perform on the court and/or field.
There are some simple things parents can do to create the type of atmosphere that will almost guarantee their child will have the kind of experience they will always remember. By keeping everything in perspective and keeping in mind that the participants are just children, you will aid in your child’s success and excitement. The Other Parents Guide to Youth Sports can lend a hand in any parent’s pursuit for the very best youth sports experience that their child and you, the parent, could have.
