Danielle McDonough

One of the biggest misconceptions in youth sports is that parents are supposed to know exactly what to do. What to say after a tough game. How to respond to frustration. When to step in. When to step back. How to support without adding pressure. The truth is much simpler—and much more freeing: Parents are learning too. And that matters. You Don’t Need to Be the Expert Parenting an athlete isn’t about mastering the perfect response or having a solution ready at all times. Sport is dynamic....

Every single player on the ice, field, or court has a role to play. A role that is critical to the success of the team, critical to whether they perform well, critical to whether they ENJOY being on the team, and even critical to whether or not they’re successful. And the funny thing is, this role has absolutely nothing to do with the position they play. We often think of roles as whether an athlete plays offense or defense, and while these are super important positions on the team, what...