Guide to having conversations on the car ride home with your athlete
😬 Are the car rides home a struggle after a tough day?
😬 Does it always end in tears? Or a fight?
😬 Does it seem like she never wants to listen to what you have to say?
If you’re in this boat, you’re not alone. I know you’re just trying to help her, support her, and make her better. Especially because you know she has so much potential.
My car rides home with my dad were… rough at times. Of course, I have many, many great memories with my dad, playing softball and other sports, but I also remember too many times crying on that car ride home. Feeling so disappointed. Frustrated. Sad. Angry. Like I was always letting him down.
I want that car ride home conversation to be better for you and your daughter because your relationship and your conversations matter. They are so important. They help your daughter become the best version of herself as a young woman and as an athlete (aka her success)!
So, let’s talk about how you can have a more productive, healthy conversation with your daughter on the car ride home.
1️⃣ Set boundaries
Time and place are crucial for these conversations! Make sure that you are both in a good headspace to have conversations about the game and her performance. Maybe that's a few hours after, maybe that's 24 hours later. Every mom/dad-daughter duo is different.
Pro tip: Ask for her permission to talk about the game/performance - I know, weird, asking your daughter for permission to talk to her… but, trust me, it works!
2️⃣ Ask them questions to reflect rather than telling her what to fix or do
- What did you do well?
- What didn’t go well?
- What did you learn?
- What can you work on?
3️⃣ Ask her what you can do to help and support
This gives her an opportunity to include you in on their improvement and focus for the next week and coming weeks.
*️⃣ Other tips:
- Meet her where she is emotionally and mentally! If she is frustrated, upset, or mad, let her feel those things. Example: “It’s okay to feel those things, I get it.”
- Just be mom or dad before coach (harder said than done)
We are actually working on this in Mindset Lessons this week! I’m walking the girls through a guide to having conversations with YOU (mom and dad) after the game!
Here for you! And for her!
💕 Paige
