Soccer, Sports Parenting, Sports Psychology
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Internal Drive, The Key to a Life Champion
After one of the most exciting World Cup finals in history, the Qatar Cup finished, and the Argentinian team raised the trophy. Even though some people aren't soccer fans, everyone has seen it, heard about it, or had a friend who told them so. When we watch such events, motivation rises, and the sport gets new members willing to try to emulate the stars. We all need models. As a former tennis player, I can recall playing imaginary matches between Borg, McEnroe, and many others in my youth. Soccer has brought several models to relate with, and that is a sports booster.
On the other hand, as parents, the glory and celebration can confuse us, thinking it's achievable for our kids if we push them enough. First, the media shows us only the tip of the iceberg. We don't see all the effort and sacrifice to reach such a place, the plenty of training hours, the hard beginnings, a story of lack of resources, and facing adversity daily. Let's be honest; we all think we have a superstar at home. It happened to me when my elder son started serving at four. It’s important to celebrate accomplishments, but don't get me wrong. Kids copy what they see at home, and it took me several years to figure out he was simulating my serve—no more than that.
Returning to the World Cup can make us lose the big picture and tempt us to push our kids to a place they don't want to go. Let your son or daughter's internal drive flourish; it's the best advice I can give you. Pushing them to a place we want will only last for a while. Every player on the Argentinian soccer team loved the game, and to mention examples, Messi moved to Spain at the age of fourteen. Martinez, the goalkeeper to England at fifteen to pursue their dream. They constantly fuel an internal drive in each training session, match, and setback. They have been through a long development process of all the skills you saw them performing efficiently on the soccer field.
Now, we all want a champion at home, and if it's your case, start working out to be the best version of yourself your kid can relate to. Remember the internal drive. The more we fuel our kid's passion, the less they push themselves. It's a law. To work with it or against it, it's our choice.
