Come on, Mom and Dad!

Pestering Parents? 3 Signs That Indicate You Aren’t Playing Your Sport for You

By Bella Nevin|Updated on June 27, 2023 (originally published on April 26, 2023)

Parents are a huge part of our process of becoming a college athlete–in fact, oftentimes, they are the reason we ever started playing in the first place. Their time driving us to practice, games, and tournaments across the country is one of the biggest reasons why we ever get the chance to become collegiate athletes.

However sometimes it can get to a point where your parents have bigger dreams for you playing your sport than you do. When your parents stop taking into account what you want and need as an athlete, it might be a sign that they're trying to live out their athletic dreams through you. Here are some signs that your reasons for playing your sport aren't for you anymore.

1. Your Parents Have to Bribe You to Go to Practices

It's only natural to have your parents be the people you go to to complain about problems you are having with your sport. However, when you get to the point where you want to quit your sport so badly that your parents have to force you to show up to all your team events, it could be a giant sign that you do not love, or even like playing anymore.

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2. They Are Overly Critical of How You Play

If your parents bombard you with every mistake you made and what you need to do better next time in the car rides home from every rough game, this might be a sign that they are trying to live out their days in the past as an athlete through you. This can often turn into your parents feeling more like your coaches than your actual parents. Critiquing everything you did wrong instead of celebrating what you did right can be really hard on you mentally as an athlete. You should be excited to go see your parents after a game, not dread facing them because you know you are only going to hear bad things.

3. They Tell You That You Are Selfish For Not Wanting to Play

This type of talk is demoralizing and can really mess with you as an athlete. Sure parents invest a lot of time, money, and energy into your athletic career…but if your parents use the effort they have committed to your sport against you, this is a major sign that they want you to play more than you do. Your parents making you feel guilty because of “all they have done for you” is not a fair way to try to keep you in your sport at all. After all, they're not the ones feeling the pain while competing–you are.