Helping Your Child Adapt To Change

Conversations with Kids: Sports Parents - Helping Your Child Adapt To Change

For parents and guardians where we give you prompts so that you can have more meaningful conversations with your children to help them build key characteristics such as mental toughness, resilience, confidence, creativity, focus and so on.

A Question for your Kids

When you join a new team, play up, get moved into a different age group or complete somewhere different, how do you feel? Excited? Nervous? Maybe both?

It’s completely normal. Even professional athletes feel uncertain when stepping into new environments.

So, if your child ever feels unsettled when starting something new, that’s OK it’s part of growing as a person.

Improves:

Resilience
Adaptability

When youngsters learn to manage change, they build resilience. They start to focus on what they can control; their effort, attitude, and preparation. Instead of worrying about what they can’t, such as selection, results or rivals.

Adaptability is also vital. Childen who can adjust quickly to new coaches, environments, teammates, or roles are often the ones who develop fastest and enjoy their sport most.

Directions for Parents

Normalise change: Talk about times in your own life when you had to adapt; a new job, school, or move.
Ask reflective questions: “What did you learn from that challenge?” “What felt most different or new about the experience so far?” or “What’s been a small win today?”
Limit comparison: Encourage your child to focus on their own progress, not on what others say or post.
Celebrate small wins: Praise effort, communication, and bravery not just results or selection.

Ideas for Kids

Try to see each new challenge as an opportunity rather than a threat.
If you’re nervous, talk to a teammate or coach instead of bottling it up.
Focus on the controllables: effort, focus, and attitude.
Remember, every experience helps you grow even the tough ones.

Helpful Resources

If you would like to share your experiences as a sports parent or get insights regarding kids sport psychology, you may also wish to join David in The Sport Psychology Hub.

Best Wishes

David Charlton

Online Sports Psychologist for Kids who supports many youngsters and sports parents so that they have more fun and get the most from their talent across the globe from USA/Canada to Great Britain and Ireland to UAE, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, using ONLINE Video Conferencing.

Managing Director – Inspiring Sporting Excellence

Host of Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast

Founder of The Sports Psychology Hub

Author of Conversations for Kids

With over a 15 years experience supporting athletes, coaches, parents and teams to transfer their skills from training to competitive situations, under pressure.

E: [email protected]