Parents of Athletes: How to Prepare Your Student for Middle School Athletics
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Subject Line: How to Prepare Your Student for Middle School Athletics
Dear Parents,
As your child uncovers new interests and hobbies, some of them might discover they like sports. From t-ball to soccer to cheer, sports give students a chance to learn teamwork, character, and exercise. As they develop, they may want to keep going in middle school.
But sometimes, parents aren’t sure of how to prepare them for the next level, athletically and spiritually. Our latest parent video gives you very specific steps to help your child in a good direction. Just click the link below to get started.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/504848321/bfbec28d0a
As your church, we are thankful your family is in the community taking God’s light and love! We are praying for you and continue to support you. Please let me know if you ever need anything.
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Subject Line: For Parents of Athletes
Today’s video is for a specific group of parents- raising children who play sports. Proverbs 16:3 asks us to “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Did you know God cares about you and your family? As your child discovers what they like and dislike, you may discover God gave your child the ability to play sports.
Because He is loving and kind, He doesn’t ever force Himself into our lives. We have the privilege to invite Him into all areas of our lives, including sports. To learn how to do this, we have a brief video that shows how sports is more than a game. Click the link below to get started.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/504848321/bfbec28d0a
As your church, we continue to support you through the parenting journey. Please let me know if you ever need anything.
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VIDEO
SOCIAL MEDIA SWAG
Parents, if you have a child in sports, we have a quick and encouraging video for you! Learn how to prepare your child for middle school sports starting now! Check your inbox for more.
If your child is involved in sports, your family can make a difference in the community. In less than five minutes, learn how in our new parent video. Check your inbox for more.
Calling on all parents of athletes! Sports of any kind can be more than competition and ribbons. We have an encouraging and inspiring brief video to show you how. Check your inbox for more!
If you have a child in elementary school who is interested in playing for their middle school, our new parent video offers 3 practical steps to encourage them in a good direction. Check your inbox for more.
VIDEO SCRIPT
If you have a son or daughter that loves to play sports, then you know about the games, and you know about the intensity and the hard work and the competition. First, it starts out when they’re three, four, and five, and they’re super cute little jerseys, and they’re on the soccer field, and they’re just running all over the place. And it’s like herding cats, or they might be the little boy that’s out in the center field who’s way more interested in a wildflower than he is in the baseball that just rolled by.
But eventually, they move from that super cute little age into the recreational leagues. And at that point, it gets a little more intense. The parents get a little louder, the coaches get a little stronger, and the competition gets a little thicker, and you have the recreational leagues. And then after that, they can sometimes move into the travel leagues. And that’s when you begin to cut very large checks, and the competition gets super intense, and the parents get really loud.
And so, as a parent of an athlete, one of the things we wanted to give you today was how you can begin to prepare your student for middle school? So we’re going to give you three things you can do today to prepare.
One, research. Look into the middle school that your child plans on attending. Go check out their program, check out, and say, “Hey, what does it look like? What’s the level of competition? Do I know any parents who are there?” Attend a ball game and talk to the parents and say, “Hey, how does this work here at this program and at this level?”
Because here’s what you want to avoid. One day your daughter wakes up, and she says, “Mom, tomorrow is middle school soccer tryouts.” Oh, you respond, “Great. I’m so happy for you. You’re so excited, and you celebrate with her, and then you roll into the tryout, proud of her for going for it.
But you roll up into a tryout where all these other girls have been doing soccer, traveling together for three and four years, and you just didn’t know.
And so you have to tell your daughter, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. So one of the ways, as a parent of an athlete, if your child is beginning to express an interest in sports, is to begin to research the middle school program and where they’re planning on attending.
The second is support. If your child makes the team begin to decide as a family, how are we going to support this coach? How are we going to support this program?
Because as Christ-followers, one of the things you and I are called to do is we’re called to be in the world, not of it, but definitely in it. And he leaves us here because we have the ability to have influence and make a difference and offer love. And so decide as a family, if your child makes the team, how are we going to support this program, decide before you ever get there?
And third is next, make a decision. What kind of parent am I going to be among the other parents? Am I going to be the parent that constantly complains that my kid’s not getting enough playing time? Am I going to be the parent that talks about other parents’ players? Am I going to be the parent that is constantly encouraging even if my kid’s getting playing time or not playing? Am I going to be the parent that speaks positivity into this culture and into this environment? And this matters as parents of athletes, how we as Christ-followers handle ourselves, because in Galatians Chapter Five verse Twenty-two and Twenty-Three, it says, “The fruit of the spirit is love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.”
So I want you to imagine with me the bigger picture that if we as parents of athletes are able to walk into these environments that are intense and competitive, navigate a lot of emotional intelligence and social skills, which is a lot of hard work. It’s teaching our student-athletes some incredible discipline. So if you can imagine Christ-followers showing up into these arenas and offering the fruit of the spirit, offering the love that we’ve been given from Christ, that we have a chance to come in and offer to them.
We have a chance to make a difference in our communities because God has chosen to give your child talent and athletic ability. And if he is fortunate or she’s fortunate enough to make the team, then now your family has a chance to go in, to spend some time researching, spend some time deciding how you want to support the program, and then spend some time deciding how you want to be a parent, among other parents. And as a parent of an athlete, it’s just another great way for you to be able to pass down your faith on the go.