wk 3 Response

Response to Cindi Jobe

Great post, Cindi! I am getting married this summer and so the idea of being a parent and having a family is creeping ever closer. And the natural question that comes to me is, what type of parent will I be? How can I be the best parent I can possibly be? I think Zander and this post hit the mark. Encourage them, love them, help them, and allow them room to grow and everything else will fall in place.

Original Post:

Week 3 - Other Connections to Zander's Work as it relates to Competition

Anna Jobe - ski racer

I am posting the following as a great guideline for those of us that are coaches, teachers and parents so that we remember to keep our perspective. I am spending the next few days watching the Junior Olympics and am reminded every moment of this competition of Benjamin Zander's words. He speaks about our "universe being alive with sparks" and that we have "an infinite capacity to light a spark of possibility". He also says that "passion, not fear is the igniting force". As I watch these young 8th and 9th graders, full of sparks, possibility and passion for their sport, I feel so very lucky to just observe. The advice marked in red below is the best I have found to help us keep our perspective and to help the children we teach, coach or parent to strive for their best, not to be afraid of failure, and to embrace the challenge.

© 2006 USA Swimming and The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. All Rights Reserved.

Do's and Don'ts for Sport Parents

(this is just a portion from this article that fits in well with "The Art of Possibility" that we have been studying by Benjamin Zander)

Do for your Children:

• Provide guidance for your children, but do not force or pressure them.

• Assist them in setting realistic goals for participation.

• Emphasize fun, skill development and other benefits of sports participation, e.g., cooperation,

competition, self-discipline, commitment.

• Show interest in their participation: help them get to practice, attend competitions, ask questions.

• Provide a healthy perspective to help children understand success and failure.

• Emphasize and reward effort rather than results.

• Intervene if your child's behavior is unacceptable during practice or competitions.

• Understand that your child may need a break from sports occasionally.

• Give your child some space when need. Part of sports participation involves them figuring things out

for themselves.

• Keep a sense of humor. If you are having fun and laughing, so will your child

• Provide regular encouragement.

• Be a healthy role model for your child by being positive and relaxed at competitions and by having

balance in your life.

• GIVE THEM UNCONDITIONAL LOVE: SHOW THEM YOU LOVE THEM WHETHER THEY

• WIN OR LOSE!!!

About the Author:

Michael A. Taylor an Instructor for the Stanford

University based Positive Coaching Alliance, a long-time member of the United States Elite Coaches Association

and a former gym owner.

Taylor, M. (2010) Do's and don'ts for sports parents. United States Ski and Snowboard Association
Retrieved March 19, 2010 from http://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/formembers/parents/about.html