by Steve Haubrick
What inspires you? Who inspires you? What motivates your kid to do activities? How does that translate when they grow to be an adult? These are questions that we are constantly asking ourselves either directly or indirectly as a parent. They are the foundational items for making daily and life decisions.
I could spend the entire newspaper talking about this but I want to just point to one thing: always think about every key decision and determine what inspires you to choose the path that you are going down. Is it happiness? Is it money? Is it a feeling of entrapment? Is it family? The source of the inspiration can help you identify whether your choices are for the right reasons. In this regard, always inspire your children in any choice you make for them.
For instance, people with young children have to decide at early age if they want his/her child to participate in a sport and if so, which one. Why do they do this? They usually are inspired by their own sports aspirations. Alternatively, they may be motivated by the fact that their neighbors or kid’s friends are doing a particular sport. Lastly, a child’s own inspiration may lead a parent to sign them up for the activity.
Regardless of the reason, it’s important that children, like adults, feel inspired to play the sport that their parent has chosen for them. Simply registering for football, baseball, or soccer is not enough. Parents should take the time to explain the motivation for doing the sport, being active with the team, and giving them a reason to be inspired.
A girl soccer player who is six years old recently told me that her inspiration for playing soccer and improving was due to wanting to be like Abby Wambach. She wanted to be able to score headers in a World Cup. Her dad showed her Abby’s goal and since then, she has been very active in soccer. Thus, always work to inspire your kids as they will be motivated in their daily lives.
Should you have any questions about being a champion or want to find out more details about soccer, feel free to contact me at president@myslsoccer.org“>president@myslsoccer.org.
Steve Haubrick
MYSL/Murrieta Surf Soccer Club President