Mentor vs Meddler Parents Vol. 1

Over the next few months, I’d like to highlight some of the traits we see in parents who act as mentors or meddlers in their junior's golf development. As you can imagine, a mentor plays a crucial role in offering positive support and guidance, while meddlers tend to disrupt the efficient development process by introducing unnecessary negativity, actions, or pressures.

A Mentor Sport Parent...

• Active Listeners: It's not about lecturing; it's about understanding. These parents allow their junior to freely communicate their aspirations and anxieties. They listen attentively, validate their children's feelings, and offer guidance when needed. This approach cultivates strong parent-child relationships, while also fostering a sense of trust and mutual respect.

A Meddler Sport Parent:

• Constant Critic: Every missed shot to these parents, is a tragedy. Criticism is often louder and more numerous than praise, which can overshadow an athlete's sense of achievement. It's important for parents and coaches to provide constructive feedback and encouragement to help athletes maintain their confidence and motivation. Focusing solely on the negative can be detrimental to their development and performance.

Golf is hard. Understanding that your junior will have their share of failures as well as successes is part of the journey. Value and highlight the great shots and good times knowing that this is a lifelong adventure and each junior progresses at their own pace. 

Be the calm in their game, not the chaos.