01/14/2026
I wasn’t prepared for parenting an athlete.
My curent reality of daily “rips” to the rink, taping sticks, tying skates, early mornings, late nights, practices, games, away tournaments, and all the time and investment it takes— WAS TOTALLY FOREIGN TO ME!
My husband played junior hockey, and I was always pretty athletic too...so logically, I probably SHOULD have expected it, but nope.
Parenting an athelete takes everything you’ve got. Beyond the logistics (time, energy etc), there’s the development... not just physically, but MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY. The pressure, the performance, the expectations…
I wasn’t prepared to know how to parent through this, especially with them at such young ages!
What’s wild is that I coach my clients on these concepts every day: imposter syndrome, self-belief, self-worth, confidence. But these kids, they’re learning personal development in REAL TIME— before they even have the words for what’s happening inside them. We don’t give them enough credit.
If your child is passionate about something, finding the fine line between motivating, supporting, and gently pushing them isn’t easy. I’m no expert, but what I’ve come to learn so far, is to lead with love, get to know your child, their energy, how they process thoughts, emotions, and pressure and let them know that you are there for them no matter what.
And be open to learning right alongside them.
Every win, every challenge, every meltdown... it’s teaching me as much as it’s teaching them, and that awareness alone has changed everything.
