Being a parent is a demanding and complex task. Adding the role of parent to an athlete makes things even more complicated because new factors come into play. According to a survey of 500 parents of athletes in the United States, the 20 biggest challenges parents face are:

1. Not knowing how to help my child develop all their talent without pressuring them (69.7%)

2. Not knowing how to interact with my child to improve their performance (47.4%)

3. Understanding how to identify when my child is having difficulties with the mental aspect of the game they play. (41.2%)

4. Learning to motivate my child (39.2%)

5. Help my son to be more competitive and energetic in sports (37.1%)

6. Improve communication with my son regarding his sporting experience (33.6%)

7. Be more positive and supportive after a defeat or a bad result (31.3%)

8. Not knowing how to improve communication with my child (31.5%)

9. Separate the role of father from that of coach of my child (29.9%)

10. Resolve situations in which the athlete is treated unfairly by their coach or when the coach has favorites within the team. (27.8%)

11. Not knowing how to help my child cope with defeats (26.6%)

12. Dealing with difficult or negative coaches (23.3%)

13. Combining the practice of several sports (22.7%)

14. Relating to “motivated parents” instead of self-motivated children (18.8%)

15. Helping my son relate to teammates who are jealous of his talent (17.7%)

16. Finding a good coach for my son (16.3%)

17. Understanding what is more important: winning or enjoying? (16.3%)

18. Helping my son when he is a substitute or plays little on the team (15.1%)

19. Knowing when is the right time for my child to specialize in a sport (14.6%)

20. Dealing with bullying situations among team members (10.9%)

Throughout this section we will try to provide information and suggestions to make it a little easier for you to deal with these situations that, as parents of athletes, we have no choice but to face.

Source: www.peaksports.com