Sports parent, are you a giver or a taker?

By Janis Meredith | Posted 2/22/2018

Perhaps you’ve noticed in the world of youth sports that there are two kinds of people - givers and takers.

Parents who are takers see the coach, other parents and opposing players as the enemy. They are takers because they take away your joy and positivity. 

Takers are jealous of you or your child and they like to gossip. They complain about the coach, refs and kids on the team. Sitting near them in the stands is not enjoyable and listening to their diatribe gets old.

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On the other hand, givers are people who are loyal, uplifting and supportive. They have your back and they treat you like family. They offer support even if they don’t agree with everything. They look for ways to help the team and coach, and take every opportunity to encourage the players. Givers are loyal to the team, community, other coaches and other parents.

Take a few minutes to think about your relationships. If you’re around a lot of takers, then maybe it’s time to start hanging out with givers instead. Takers will wear you out while givers will build you up.

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For the sake of your family and friends, take a few minutes to look at yourself. Are you giving more than taking? Or are people distancing themselves because you're draining the positivity out of them?

Janis B. Meredith is a life coach for sports parents. She provides resources to help parents give their children a positive and growing youth sports experience. Learn more about how she can help parents have Less Stress and More Fun in Youth Sports.

This is an updated version of a blog that originally published Feb. 8, 2017.

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