Trust your kid's coach, Aparna Popat tells parents

Former National badminton champion Aparna Popat stressed the need for parents of young sportspersons to communicate effectively with children and not pressure them into setting unrealistic targets.
Speaking to around 50 parents at a workshop organized here, Popat recalled personal experiences as she highlighted the unique challenges of raising an athlete.
"What parents say touches a chord with kids, which is why you have to choose your words carefully while communicating with children," said the nine-time National champ in the event conducted by GoSports Foundation at Vesoma on Saturday.
"You are not your results, you produce results," said leadership trainer Girish Manimaran, adding that it is important for kids to treat feedback as a neutral piece of information and not get caught up with whether it is positive or negative.
"While giving feedback it is important to refrain from being judgmental and confusing the reality with one's interpretation of it," he told parents, suggesting they communicate openly, rather than constantly advising kids.
"It is important to trust coaches and their plan. Any negative comments on the coach or the politics of the sport in the child's presence can have an adverse impact on growth," Popat said, adding to Manimaran's point, before saying that parents had to be role models and inculcate the spirit of sportsmanship.
Popat said coaches and experts would have to be trusted on technical matters. "Information on technical aspects of sport, on strength and mental conditioning is easily available. But it is important parents use this information to understand and empathize with the struggles and challenges their children face, rather than encroach the domain of experts," she said.
Storyteller Aparna Athreya impressed upon parents the importance of helping children understand their own strengths and weaknesses and encouraging them to take their own decisions which would help boost their self-confidence. "Letting children make decisions ensures their commitment to the decisions, without feeling unduly pressured," she said.
"Raising an athlete is not easy," said Umakanth, the father of rising badminton player Mithula UK. "Given the stress it is easy to get carried away and believe that you have to advise your child on every aspect of the sport. It helps to be reminded, sometimes, that it is necessary to take a step back and just observe," he said.