Sports Parenting

Middle School | High School

ADI is designed to provide all of the services needed to guide you and your student athlete through the long and arduous path from middle school through college with trusted information, dedicated trainers, and expert consultants all under one roof.

The goals of our programs are to develop the skills and knowledge of your son or daughter and help them advance to the next level in both athletics and academics.

Sessions are offered in small groups and private one to one settings to match the learning style of the student athlete. Larger seminars are also offered to communicate important information to student athletes and parents in a timely manner.

Our ultimate goal is for your student athlete to reach their potential in both their sport and their academics. The combination of both will help them attend a college that matches their capabilities and interests. Attending a college that fits your athlete’s goals is the first step in landing a career that matches their passions and motivations for later in life.

Middle School

About the stage of development:

Middle School children are in a growth and development stage of their life (physically, emotionally and intellectually).
They perceive the world around them differently than elementary school children and begin to relate to peers differently.
Peer pressure and societal demands can create conflicts and tension leading to erratic behavior.
Every middle child has strengths and weaknesses that show through in their personality and actions. Most tend to share some basic characteristics including:

Periods of high physical and emotional activity followed by long periods of inactivity
Heightened concern about what their peers think of them
Sense of adventure and elevated curiosity
Increased striving for independence and privacy
Expectation of being granted privileges without taking additional responsibility

What can a parent do?

Parents should have an understanding of the classes, teachers, and friends of the child while providing a positive outlook for their present and future.
Get involved in your child’s education: as parents’ participation in their child’s school often results in higher grades and positive involvement in more school-based activities.
Encourage your child to communicate with teachers and other students and express themselves and their preferences in a non-threatening and respectful manner.

Provide support for your child by:

Discussing what happened in school in a positive non-judgmental manner in a relaxed setting such as during meal or snack time.
Avoiding immediate confrontation and arguments when bad news is delivered about school or activities.
Providing support for their decisions that are thought out and aligned with the family’s basic values and beliefs. Allowances must be made for differences in personality, offering the opportunity for them to be their own person.
Focus on time management skills…an invaluable asset in HS.

Sports Parenting - Middle School

Begin to encourage your child to become a good team player (in team sports) by cooperating and communicating with their teammates. This behavior will also have benefits in school for group projects.

You should avoid the focusing on winning and losing and instead emphasize your child’s attitude and effort… behaviors that they can control.

You should develop an approach for your child to empower them to speak and act on their own behalf if they have a situation that is troubling them rather than you stepping in to assist.

If your child has aspirations to play a sport in college, middle school is not too early to start encouraging a focus on education and doing well in school. The most critical aspect in pursuing college sports participation is a strong high school academic performance. Sound fundamental skills in a sport along with a solid academic curriculum and grades can often help a student to gain acceptance to a college or university where academics alone would not achieve the results.

Strength training is critical at this stage as it provides the middle school athlete with improved coordination, stability and confidence. ADI strength training focuses on developing core strength and the dynamic movements of the body to perform sports skills more effectively and reduce the risk of injury.

Skill development should be focused on proper execution of basic skills and repetition to develop muscle memory on a frequent basis over short periods of time each day.

High School

About the stage of development:

By high school children blossom into young adults with their own decision making patterns
Ninth grade is crucial to developing habits that establish a path through high school
Friends and social events tend to take precedent over family activities
Teens begin to think differently for the first time and want to debate their point
They are beginning to engage in their own problem solving and are aware of their sexuality
Drugs and alcohol become a part of the decision making that must be carefully navigated

What can a parent do?

Parents need to have a clear and open two-way communication with their high school age child and convey an understanding of the many difficulties that they are facing.
The efforts of your child (not just successes) should be recognized and appreciated in order to build confidence
Encourage your child to get involved in school activities, find peers with common interests, and engage in community events that benefit others.

Provide support for your child by:

Discussing school and in social events in a positive non-judgmental manner
Seek assistance in areas were your child is having difficulties.
Recognize the differences of tastes and values and discuss a solution that works for both
If college is in the plan, begin exploring the opportunities during the sophomore year by discussing with parents and students who have been through the process.

Sports Parenting High School

Try avoiding a focus on winning and losing and emphasize the positive experience and personal development in sport.
You should encourage your child to be a great teammate through communication, empathy and compassion.
If your child has aspirations to play a sport in college, the continued focus on academic achievement is crucial as is the off-season training and pre-season developmental work to advance in the sport.
Strength training throughout the year (they should continue a program in-season) tends to separate the achievers from the average players by preparing the athlete for peak performance and helps to avoid injuries.
Skill development should be focused on refining basic and advanced skills through repetition to develop proper muscle memory on a frequent basis over short periods of time each day.
The psychological preparation and mental side of sports becomes a major part of sports in the teen years and should be a focus in practice and preparation for competition.
Proper nutrition can make a big difference in maximizing potential by preparing the body to perform and providing the correct amount of energy to sustain effort while avoiding injuries.
Sports can play a major role in the high school and college experience and it is a parent’s role to provide education, guidance and direction for their daughter/son while seeking assistance as needed in the process.