As a parent of a high school or college-age athlete, you have watched your child grow up playing the game they love. With the pandemic serving up quite a few curveballs, we’ve all had to adapt to the many changes COVID-19 has brought to school, sports and our daily lives. We’ve composed a list of five ways for parents to support their athletes through their journey back to competing in hopes of making their transition back to the game as smooth as possible.

1. Establish a structure and create a routine

The pandemic and social distancing have changed many of our daily routines and given us more time at home with family members. If your athlete has not transitioned to in-person training with their team yet, help them establish a daily routine that incorporates their class schedule and time for exercise. We recommend using a time-block method to break up different types of activities into manageable sections. Don’t forget to include mental breaks and snack time!

2. Spend quality time outdoors

We get it, we’re all getting antsy from being cooped up indoors this year. For parents of college-aged students, your athlete may have moved back home from school and set up camp in their old childhood room (which means less space in your house for people to relax). We encourage adding going outside for a walk and some fresh air to your routine. This is the perfect opportunity for you to go explore that neighborhood trail you’ve been wanting to check out for some quality time with your athlete. Emphasize the importance of staying active to boost your athlete’s mood and energy levels.

3. Limit screen time and exposure to social media

In recent years, social media has become a large part of our daily lives, especially during the pandemic. We’ve definitely gone down a few too many COVID-19 rabbit holes on a daily basis and realize that consuming all this extra information is not healthy for us. Help your athlete limit their screen time by suggesting a break from certain platforms and putting their phone down after a certain time of day. We like putting our phones down after dinner and using that time for self-care and doing things for us like reading or watching our favorite show. Remind your athlete that it’s okay to take a news break and understand that constantly being connected isn’t always the most beneficial to our mental health.

4. Be a positive role model

Practice the things you preach. Be someone that your athlete can look up to and feel comfortable having tough conversations with. Show that you care by reaching out to them, have daily check-ins, and listen to the struggles they may be going through. As a parent, it can be difficult to watch your child struggle, but it's important to their growth as an individual. Be a resource and confidante for your athlete and understand that the experiences they are going through are different from your own.

5. Be an advocate for self-care

Cut your athlete some slack by exuding kindness and encouraging them to be honest with how they’re feeling. Understand when your athlete may be feeling down and take the opportunity to encourage them to take a break and do something for themselves. Your athlete may be used to pushing themselves during training and now find it difficult to focus on other activities because sports make up so much of their identity. Understand that your athlete (especially senior high school and college athletes that have missed or may be missing their senior season) need time to reflect on what has happened during their athletic career up until this point. Encourage them to practice mindfulness and journaling to organize their thoughts. If necessary, provide them additional resources to seek help for their mental health.

Resource:

Asia Mape (2020), How Parents Can Help Support Their Athletes During The Coronavirus Sport Shutdown and Isolation Period