Remember how exciting it was for you to see your child take his first steps? And then he wanted to walk everywhere! His newfound freedom inspired him to explore.

Or when she learned to tie her shoes? She insisted on doing it all by myself every time, no matter how much in a hurry you were to get out of the house.

When you let go, your child flies on his own and the world opens up to him.

It’s funny how quickly parents forget those simple lessons of letting go, especially when kids grow older and start playing sports. When parents let go of their children in youth sports, here’s how the athletes are inspired:

Your child will gain confidence.

When your young athlete realizes that he’s accomplished something on his own, it's a huge confidence-builder. As he gains confidence, he’s inspired to try new things and grow even more. However, if you insist on hanging on by fighting all his battles and making his decisions—which sport should I play? How often should I practice on my own? —his confidence will severely lag.

Your child will grow persistence muscles.

The only way to gain muscle is to test and stretch those muscles consistently. As you let go and let your child persist on her own, she will grow tenacity and that will lead her to push herself further than she ever thought. Oh, the delight on a child’s face when she achieves something she never imagined she could!

Your child will enjoy the process more.

That’s not to say there won’t be frustration on the journey, but at least they will be his frustrations and successes, not his parents’. That sense of independence can inspire your child to stay on the journey because it’s the one he chose.

Letting go is probably the hardest thing a parent has to do. Believe me, my kids are 26, 29 and 32 and I’m still working on it, at least emotionally! But the rewards of seeing your kids fly and succeed on their own will far outweigh the feelings of hanging on too tightly.

Janis Meredith is a family life coach who wants to help all parents raise champions. You can find out more at rcfamilies.com.