Youth baseball parenting can be an emotional journey, as we pour our time, energy, and emotions into supporting our children's involvement in sports. But this investment can sometimes turn into an obsession with performance, overshadowing the real reasons kids play sports. To learn new skills, make friends, and have fun.
I've seen it firsthand and heard it from others in our parent circles. We cheer, we agonize, and sometimes, we get too caught up in the score or a missed play. It's easy to forget that our kids are not professional athletes. They're children playing a game. The pressure to perform can weigh heavily on them, especially when they sense our disappointment or frustration.
This emotional investment isn't just tough on the kids. It's hard on us parents too. We want the best for our children, and it's painful to watch them struggle or fail. But it's important to remember that failure and struggle are part of sports and part of learning. They teach resilience, perseverance, and the value of hard work—lessons that are valuable far beyond the baseball diamond.