For Parents · Sporting Athletic Club

Post-Practice/Game

How to address a tough practice/game.

BuildsResilienceCommunication

After a rough practice or game, players are full of emotion and need time to digest what happened. Your reaction can either make or break the moment.

What often happensTrying to solve it for them - immediately asking "what went wrong?", how they feel, or telling them how they can do better.

Try insteadChange the topic and talk about something other than soccer at first. Address and talk through what went wrong in the practice or game later in the day, when they're in the right frame of mind. Support them as they drive the discussion by asking guided questions.

Why it works

Giving them time to make sense of what happened helps prevent burnout and builds Resilience. Changing the topic helps them gain perspective on the fact that their sport doesn't rule their lives. They have time to let their emotions cool, then have a mature conversation where they discuss what happened and learn from it - that's Communication.