Sports Parenting - The 3 Magic Questions
The Car Journey Home You’ve been at the game. You’ve watched your child perform out on the course or the sports field. Unless your child has a trophy in hand or has scored a hat-trick of goals, chances are they may not respond how you’d like to certain questions. The Wrong First Question? "How did you play?" This question seems innocent. It’s polite. It shows interest. But — in many cases — it opens the door to a negative spiral. We live in a world where it’s easy to focus on what went wrong instead of what went well. A Better Approach Try leading with something more positive: "Hey, I want you to tell me what you did well today." "Tell me about that pass you made to X that set up a goal." "What about that bunker shot you hit on 17 — tell me about it." "What did you enjoy?" These types of questions shift your child’s focus. They invite reflection on successes , not shortcomings. 🧠Kids are most likely to remember the first...
