In some parts of the country, kids are back to practicing their sport. For others, that opportunity will be in the fall. Either way, it's a perfect time to revisit the essential question that each child will benefit from answering: "Why do I invest myself in this sport? WHY am I doing this?"
The reason for asking these questions is simple. Your child's WHY is the source of his real motivation. After this long pause of inactivity, it's a great time to reassess and refresh the real reason for going to practices, working hard, and committing to the demands of the sport. The answer is not always as it appears. I find that most parents don't know the true answer, for their child.
If you ask your child WHY she plays, you'll probably hear the same thing I heard from a young tennis player. She said, "Cuz it's fun." But I persisted, "What makes it fun?" After about 10 minutes of listing various aspects of the game and the joy of being with her friends, she finally settled on the one main thing. She said, "There's a moment in tennis when the ball meets the sweet spot of my racquet, and I know I'm in complete control of the spin, direction, and velocity of the ball—I live for those moments on the court." There it was! The real reason she plays tennis was now clear. It is the source of all her motivation to go to the court each day.
Ask your child, WHY do you swim, or run, or play soccer, or skate? List all the reasons on a piece of paper. Then keep drilling down to find the #1 reason for their passion. Some love the risk of putting their skills up against their opponents. For others, that's their least favorite part. For some athletes, just being with their friends while doing something physical is the main attraction. And for others, it's learning new skills and improving. There's no wrong answer.
Knowing the answer is what matters. It matters to your child, and it can help you understand what's going on when your child seems less motivated. It means something's missing, and they need to get it back. Or, perhaps they need to dwell on the #2 or #3 reasons they enjoy their sport until they find that sweet spot again.
Seize the opportunity today to talk with your athlete about WHY they love their sport. What is it that makes the activity so enjoyable? Don't settle for, "It's fun." Find out what's fun about it. This discussion will accomplish several things. It will help your athletes clarify the reason for doing the work, and explain the days when practice wasn't so fulfilling, and it will bring you closer to your child. You gain all those benefits from asking such a simple question. WHY?