325: Youth Sports, Parenting from the Sideline, and the Power of "Next Play" with Alan Stein

Wouldn’t it be nice to raise a child that goes on to be the next LeBron James, Serena Williams, or Peyton Manning? Of course! But isn’t that setting the bar too high?

There’s so much more that our kids can learn from playing sports. If we teach them to focus on improving their skills, learn from their mistakes, and be good teammates, they’ll be successful no matter what they do.

For this conversation, I’m thrilled to welcome back none other than Alan Stein, Jr. Alan is an author, keynote speaker, and a performance coach with a passion for helping others change their behaviors and maximize performance.

His proven principles teach others how to utilize the same approaches in business that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level.

For over 15 years, he’s worked with legends and superstars in the NBA, such as Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant.

Alan talks about empowering our kids to give it their best, develop a positive attitude, and be good teammates. We also talk about winning graciously and losing gracefully because there are lessons to be learned, no matter the outcome.

And if things aren’t going well, or if they miss a shot, teaching our kids to move on to the “Next Play” is such a great lesson in sports and in life. It’s okay if they fall or come up short. But if they learn to get up, shake it off, and move forward, they’ll have way more wins than losses in their life.

If your kids are playing sports, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen a parent yelling and screaming from the sidelines and thinking they’re helping the situation when it’s actually having the opposite impact.

Alan reminds us that if we stay in our lanes, let the players play, and the coaches coach, we can focus on being the parent and empowering our kids to be the best at whatever they want to do.

 One last thing, if you enjoyed this conversation, please leave an honest review of the FRD podcast and mention this episode. Send a screenshot to our team at FrontRowDads.com, tell us which one of Alan’s books you want and we’ll mail you a copy for free. (USA/Canadian residents only)

Alan Stein, Jr. Podcast Highlights

• Sports should be fun, and an avenue for development and teaching life lessons.
• Why coaches and parents should put a greater focus on kids being a greater teammate versus winning and losing.
• Why the “Next Play” mentality works not only in sports, but in all aspects of life.
• The negative impact that parents can have when attempting to “coach” from the sidelines.
• The best thing that parents can do at their kids’ games is cheer them on and provide encouragement.
• The importance of focusing on the process of having a good attitude and giving your best effort.
• Show our kids how to win graciously and lose gracefully.
• Why youth sports should not be about parents living vicariously through their kids' experiences.
• How to help our kids make the connection of how preparation factors into both winning and losing.
• The trilogy of behaviors that parents and coaches need to eradicate from youth sports.
• The positive impact that comes from telling our kids “I love to watch you play”.
• One simple rule: Let the players play and let the coaches coach.
• Everybody makes mistakes. Teach our kids not to talk to referees when something goes wrong, since the referees don’t say anything to them when they make mistakes or miss a shot during the game.
• Let’s also make sure that we check in on each other, especially if you know someone that could use a friendly voice or text right now.

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