Is My Child Behind In Sports (How to Keep Them Motivated)

If you ever catch yourself wondering, “is my child behind” in sports, or anything for that matter, here’s how to keep them motivated.

Remember, first, that every child develops physically at different points during adolescence. And depending on when their birthday falls, they may be the youngest in the class, in which case there’s a strong likelihood they’re the smallest.

That’s not to say he or she won’t catch up with the rest of the team. He likely will, with some time, but what do you do in the meantime?

Is My Child Behind in…

You can fill in the blank.

It could be basketball, football, baseball, soccer, cheerleading… the list goes on and on.

And, as we mentioned above, if your child started school earlier than most (simply because of where his or her birthday falls), it’s highly possible that he’s younger than the rest of his classmates and teammates.

In many sports, a bigger size can give an automatic competitive advantage… but it’s important to remind your child that that advantage is short lived.

Being larger doesn’t mean that team member is necessarily better or more talented.

Just like being smaller doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not as talented.

But regardless, those factors are completely out of your child’s control. He or she can’t control when a growth spurt will happen. The only thing your child should be focused on are the things WITHIN his or her control.

That includes practicing technique and working on skills. Perhaps it means working on agility drills or spending extra time stretching. Or maybe it means you’re out on the basketball court shooting free throws for an hour a day so that when you get your shot, you don’t miss.

The point is, you can control the effort you put into a sport. And there’s always room for improvement, when you make that extra effort. Size is only a small piece of the puzzle. After all, Muggsy Bogues did manage to excel in the NBA at only 5 foot 3 inches.

Conclusion: Is My Child Behind In Sports

While this question may have come to mind, because of where your child is developmentally, there is a lot that your child can do to excel (even if he or she is the smallest person on the team).

Remind your child that the rate at which they’re growing is out of his or her control. Instead, your child should focus his or her attention on what CAN be controlled.

So instead of feeling frustration over being the smallest on the team, shift that energy into running drills and improving technique. No matter how good you are, there’s always room for improvement.

Be so good in other areas that the size isn’t a huge limiting factor anymore. And then, when that growth spurt does come, your child will find that he or she is suddenly ahead of the rest of the team.

Have you run into this problem with your own children? How did you handle it? Let us know in the comments below.