In this engaging conversation, NFL legend Greg Olsen shares his insights on fostering environments where young athletes can truly thrive. A former FOX Sports broadcaster and founder of Youth Inc., Greg emphasizes the importance of post-game discussions during car rides home. He advocates for focusing on controllable factors like effort and teamwork, while nurturing emotional resilience in kids. The talk also covers the impact of parenting styles and the critical role of open communication in helping children navigate sports and life challenges.
The car ride home is crucial in shaping a young athlete's experience, emphasizing the need for parents to ask open-ended questions for better communication.
Teaching children about resilience through sports focuses on cultivating a mindset that values effort and teamwork over performance, empowering them to face life's challenges.
Deep dives
The Car Ride Conversation
The car ride home after a game can significantly impact a young athlete's experience, and understanding how to navigate this time is crucial for parents. Instead of directly discussing the game, it is beneficial to ask open-ended questions that invite the child to share at their own pace. For example, asking how they felt about the game or if they have any thoughts allows for a more casual conversation and gives the child a sense of control. Acknowledging that strong emotions can hinder clear thinking is essential, as it allows parents to provide support rather than pressuring the child to discuss uncomfortable feelings immediately.
Fostering Resilience Through Sports
Sports serve as an effective way for children to develop resilience, as they provide opportunities to face challenges and setbacks. Teaching young athletes that a game does not define their self-worth is critical, with the emphasis placed on effort, teamwork, and attitude rather than performance. When kids experience failure or mistakes, it is an opportunity for growth, and parents should encourage them to understand that every experience can be a learning moment. Establishing core principles around effort and attitude prepares athletes to respond positively to adversity both on and off the field.
Control and Responsibility in Youth Sports
It is crucial for young athletes to understand the aspects of their performance that they can control, as this empowers them and fosters a sense of ownership. Parents can facilitate this by focusing on questions related to their preparation, attitude, and teamwork rather than specific skills or mistakes made during games. This practice helps children to recognize their capacity to influence outcomes and reinforces that responsibility is not solely reliant on external factors like coach decisions or team success. By honing in on the controllables, parents encourage a mindset of resilience that extends beyond sports into broader life challenges.
Navigating Parenting Styles
There are various parenting styles that can impact a child's development in sports, with authoritative parenting being the most conducive to positive outcomes. This approach balances support and challenge, allowing kids to feel seen while also pushing them to grow. Self-awareness plays a pivotal role in effectively parenting, as understanding one’s own tendencies enables better guidance and support for children. Finding the right balance between involvement and independence is essential, as children thrive in environments where they feel supported yet allowed to discover their own path.
What if the most important part of a young athlete’s experience is the car ride home?
Today, I’m excited to share a special conversation I had with football legend Greg Olsen on his podcast, Youth Inc.
For those who aren’t familiar, Greg is a football broadcaster for FOX Sports and 3x pro-bowler tight-end who played in the NFL for 14 seasons.
Now – alongside his career as a broadcaster – Greg launched a media company called Youth, Inc., which has a flagship podcast by the same name that focuses on the changing world of youth sports. And in that space Greg is someone to pay attention to.
This was a fantastic conversation all about fostering environments for kids to thrive – and I’m super excited to share it with you here.