Hearing that your kid wants to quit a sport midway through the season can be really disappointing to a parent. After all, you’ve invested a lot of your precious time into practices and a lot of money into uniforms, custom mouthguards and other gear. Not to mention that being physically active is super beneficial for kids!
But don’t panic yet — you may be able to prevent your child from quitting athletics just yet. Here’s what to do before they hang up the towel for good:
Figure out why your child wants to quit
Children can want to quit a sport for a variety of reasons. They may be exhausted from a packed schedule and overuse injuries, or they might be getting bullied by a teammate or coach. Or maybe they simply don’t like the sport! Have an in-depth conversation with your child about what they like and don’t like about the sport. Young kids might have trouble articulating specifics, so don’t hesitate to ask followup questions to get to the bottom of how they’re feeling. Try to get more specifics out of them besides “I don’t like it.”
Loop your partner in on the discussion
If you have a partner or a co-parent, they should be looped into the discussion around whether or not your child should be allowed to quit their sport or if it would be better to pursue another course of action.
You want to present a united front to your child instead of getting into a “good cop, bad cop” situation. You don’t want them to think that one parent will let them quit while the other one will force them to keep going. Even if you’re the primary sports parent, keep them abreast of the situation so they know what’s going on.
Consider cutting back on their sports schedule
If your child wants to quit because of exhaustion, it’s time to cut back on their sports schedule. If you sign your kid up for multiple sports each season, cut it back to one. If they play year-round non-stop, then eliminate at least one sport so they can have an offseason to rest. Let your child choose which sport(s) they want to keep; this will make them more invested in continuing to pursue the sports they have chosen instead of wanting to quit them too.
Teach them how to handle interpersonal conflict
Sadly, bullying is not uncommon on youth sports teams, and coaches, teammates and even other parents can be instigators. Even if it doesn’t escalate to bullying, interpersonal conflict can still sour your child’s experience and make them want to quit the team.
Talk with your child about anti-bullying tactics, such as ignoring the bully and always having a buddy around. If this is being done by a player or a parent, go with your child to talk to the coaches so they can watch out for escalating situations. If a coach is the issue, ask around to see if other parents have noticed the same problem. In these situations, going to the team’s organizers or directors as a group might be more effective than confronting the coach directly.
Switch to a new team
Sometimes, even your best efforts to resolve interpersonal conflict and overcome bullying won’t pan out, and keeping your child on the same team is no longer an option. However, this doesn’t mean that they have to put away their white mouthguard and helmet for good! Many towns and cities are big enough to support multiple youth teams in the same sport, especially more popular options like basketball and soccer.
If they love the sport, consider looking for a different team in your area. You might have to drive a little farther for practices, but it’s so worth it to remove your child from an unpleasant situation and encourage their love of the sport.
Find free play options vs. organized sports
Some kids love free play, but really do not thrive in an organized sports setting. Unfortunately, free play groups are getting harder and harder to find since organized teams are taking over open play areas and public parks. However, it’s still worth looking to see if there are any youth free play groups in your area. Being able to scrimmage without any pressure can help rekindle your child’s love of sports and encourage them to stay active. Even just taking the ball to the park and letting them run around is better than sitting at home.
Try another sport
In some situations, your kid just really hates whatever sport(s) they are playing. Rather than giving up athletics for good, encourage them to try a totally new sport to see if they can fall in love with athletics all over again. The novelty of the new sport plus fun near gear like a gold teeth mouthguard might reignite their enthusiasm for sports. Like we said earlier, your kid needs to be involved in the decision process so they have buy-in. If you just force them into a different sport against their will, the same problems are going to resurface.
Finish out the season
If your child just wants to quit sports, period, then set a deadline that’s a little bit in the future. The end of the season is a natural deadline, but if that’s too far away, pick something that works for you and your child. This will ensure that if this desire to quit is just a passing feeling, they won’t have burned any bridges once they decide they still enjoy playing. And if they are determined to quit, then sticking it out through the end of the season (or whatever deadline you set) will be a valuable lesson in commitment and following through on your promises.
Does your child want to quit sports? Has your child wanted to quit sports in the past, but you were able to come to a solution? Let us know in the comments below!
