1. Don’t try to live your life through your child. You had your chance to be young. Let your youngster do their thing. Don’t force an activity or sport down their throat.
  2. Don’t be negative with your child. It rubs off. IF you complain about why your son/daughter isn’t in the starting lineup they will do the same. BE POSITIVE! Motivate and encourage your youth.
  3. Don’t be unrealistic. We were all given certain abilities. Accept your child as they are. Sometimes we all would like to change certain physical characteristics and mental capabilities of ourselves. Someone will always be bigger, faster, smarter, or tougher. Encourage your youth to accept what hey have been given and accept their role on the team.
  4. Don’t know the coaching staff. How can you expect your child to perform to his/her fullest if all they hear from you about the coach is negative? The coach represents authority. You will give your youngster the wrong message if you ridicule the coach or his teachers. Support the coach.
  5. Don’t be envious of other players. Treat each player as if they were your own son/daughter. Don’t dislike a player because you don’t like their parents.
  6. Don’t be a know-­it-­all. Coaches work with youngsters 12 months of the year. They spend many hours with these kids in situations that their parents may never see. In some cases coaches know more about the players than the parents do. Don’t exert pressure on your son by telling him things he shouldn’t have to hear. Be a good role model. Let the coach, coach.
  7. Don’t be an absent parent. Monitor your child’s grades. Insist that your son/daughter study and earn good grades. If you put academics first, your child will be more successful.
  8. Don’t neglect your child’s social activities. Monitor his/her friends, hangouts, curfew, language, rules, and so on. Talk to your child about drugs, alcohol, and tobacco use. Encourage your child to make right choices. If you don’t communicate well in these areas, the wrong people may influence them.
  9. Don’t be selfish. Don’t use their activity for the wrong reason. Don’t push your child for a potential scholarship. Let them play because they love the game.
  10. Don’t baby your child. It is a tough world out there. Let them prepare for it by not nursing them. Let the coaches push and encourage your child. Let the coaches make them tougher mentally by challenging them. A youngster can learn mental toughness regardless of whether they play or not.