For Parents
Let Them Feel It
Permission to have emotions, and the skill to understand them.
One of the greatest gifts you can give an athlete is permission to have emotions, and the skill to understand them. Sport is emotional. There will be rage after a loss, tears after a benching, nerves before a big game, and giddy highs after a win. None of that is a problem to be managed away. It is information, and it is human.
When a big feeling shows up, do not rush to shut it down or cheer it away. You're fine, shake it off teaches a kid that their emotions are inconvenient. Instead, let the feeling be there. Name it with them: you seem really frustrated, that was disappointing, huh. Being seen in a feeling is what lets it move through and out.
Then, over time, help them build emotional literacy: the ability to notice what they are feeling, name it, and understand what it is telling them. An athlete who can say I am nervous because this matters has a superpower over one who just feels a storm they cannot name. Emotions felt and named lose their grip. Emotions denied run the show from the basement.
You teach this mostly by modeling it. When you name your own feelings calmly, I am frustrated and I need a minute, you show them it is safe and normal to be a human with an inner world.
Practice
- Name the feeling instead of fixing it.
- Let tears and anger exist without rushing them off.
- Ask "what is this feeling trying to tell you?"
- Model naming your own emotions, calmly and out loud.
Educational content for healthy athletes and active people, not medical advice. It does not diagnose, treat, or replace care from your own doctor. Check with a qualified provider before starting anything new, especially if you are pregnant, managing a condition, or taking medication.