There’s a lot of talk about how to change the game in youth sports, a lot of really good ideas that are ultimately aimed at getting rid of negativity that permeates todays competitive culture.
I feel the antidote to negativity in youth sports can be summed up in one word: gratitude. Not simply saying please and thank you, but the kind of gratitude that has much deeper roots.
In my book 11 Habits of Happy and Positive Sports Parents, I address the impact gratitude can have on your child’s season.
I talk about two kinds of gratitude: routine is the kind we easily express every day. It is habitual and often superficial. Thank you for the gift. Thank you for serving me.