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Some Additional Do's and Don'ts
- Don't impose your ambitions or expectations on your child. Remember that wrestling is your child's activity. Improvements and progress occur at different rates for each individual.
- Don't judge your child's progress based on the performance of other athletes and don't push them based on what you think they should be doing.
- Be supportive no matter what. There is only one question to ask your child, "Did you have fun?" If meets and practices are not fun you should not force them to participate.
- If at all possible, do not coach your child. Your job is to support, love and hug your child no matter what. Conflicting advice and criticism work against the coach's efforts and only serve to confuse and de-motivate your child. If you feel you have the experience and ability to contribute to the club as a coach, volunteer your services through the proper channels.
- Get involved. Your club needs your help and support. Attend parent and club meetings to find out how you can help.
- Most importantly, show your child that you care by attending as many meets and tournaments as possible.
- Acknowledge your child's fears. Their opponents appear to be much more intimidating through their eyes than through the eyes of a grown-up. Consider their perspective and don't expect them to compete with the confidence and mental toughness of a seasoned expert.
- Do not criticize the officials. Unless you have been there, you have no idea how challenging officiating can be. Expect that in some matches your child could lose as a result of an error on the part of an official or score keeper. That's life. Help your child to understand that the official does their best to score the match fairly, and that it is important that we respect the ruling of the officials regardless of how we feel about the situation.
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