Track Mom Intuition

What Track Mom’s Know About Their Youth Athletes

Sports mothers can be just like a fierce Lioness and go for a throat when we see youth athletes ours or some one elses in need of help and with out defense. We are relentlessly protective, very,very protective of our children.

Brooke de Lench , founder and editor in chief of MomsTeam.com, writes “A mother’s protectiveness is not a bad thing. In fact, what serves mothers so well as sports parents is their natural protectiveness, along with their nurturing instinct, emotional openness, and their belief in the importance of fair play, cooperation, connectedness, inclusiveness and the value of doing one’s best over winning and competition.

All of these traits give moms the potential to change the highly competitive culture of youth sports today in a profound way. Here’s how using your special gifts as a mother can help your child – and all children – have the best possible sports experience”.

…….”While mothers have always overseen children at play, that role has been compromised by a youth sports system dominated by men and male values. It’s time for moms to shed the label of “soccer mom” and to take a more active role in shaping their children’s sports experiences. If we do, we can go a long way toward creating a balance in youth sports between feminine and masculine, between female and male values, between winning and having fun, and between competition and cooperation”.

Before you even read the above statement , I am sure you knew it.There is something in us that crys out to be a part ,and help our youth athletes travese the sports waters (in our case, track) to have the best, most rewarding experience possible. We sense a lot of emotions and situations in our children. What does your “Momuition” tell you about your youth athlete?

A Track Mom Knows Just ’Cause She Does

When our child is not giving 100% When this has happened with Lauren once I can looked her in the eyes and simply said “Did you do you best effort and she said “MOOOOOM, how did you know I could have done better?? My answer, I just know you and I know what you can do and you didn’t do it today. )
When they need an unplanned break in the training for a few days I was once training Lauren a year ago when she just wouldn’t pep up. I couldn’t get her to do a drill with out stopping ,simply draging and pouting. normally she is rather cheerful and smiling even when the training is more intense . After to much conversation(yelling about it) She picked it up. When I questioned her she had no real answer. I at that point, she was a little burnt out and needed a break in the training.She had trained with her God sister for months then she stopped coming and she was a little lonely. I said lets go home and got in the car no discussion then, just went home and continued with the rest of our evening. We talked a little about it that evening and , in a couple of days when we returned she was her old self.
Unexplained Moodiness Okay I know girls can be moody from time to time (as their moms can be),but this moodiness is distinct and a sign of being burnt out.I have seen this in a few girls and boys, but this hasn’t happened to Lauren so far .
Observed Change In Personality That Others May Not Recognize This goes along with the one above.
When Someone Has Said Something That Was Mean Or Hurtful While At The Meet They come walking up to bleachers with a strange look on thier faces and of course say nothing is wrong and some what distracted.

I know you get the point and could add many more….Mom’s are important to the “lanscape’ of youth sports and at it’s best we help to bring a little sanity and balance to sometimes crazy, over intense sport particpation. We help place boundries on participation and when to much is too much. I guess that’s why they call us MOM.

Until Next Time,