Sports for kids—whether it’s baseball, soccer, or lacrosse—can be great at teaching them teamwork and discipline.  But that benefit can quickly be lost when Dad puts too much pressure on   his child. Avoid these 7 things parents do to make their kids hate sports.  Here are the first two:

1.    They forget their children are kids.

It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of turning our kids into super athletes.  But when that happens, we start to expect our children to train like adults.  Well, they’re not adults.  Yes, they should be focused on doing their best, but their bodies are not able to bear the strain of grown-up size repetition.  Plus, the joy of sports is having fun.  If you expect your 8-year-old to have the focus and work ethic of a high-schooler, you’re expecting too much.

2.    They embarrass their kids. 

We just read an article about a father who would yell out to his son, “You’re playing like a girl!” at his son’s games.  In front of everyone. Parents also embarrass their kids when they coach from the stands, yell at umpires and refs, and confront the coach in an inappropriate way.

Here is the entire 7 things parents do to make their kids hate sports list.  Don’t be one of them.

Huddle up with your children tonight and ask them:  “Have I ever put too much pressure on you for sports?  Why or why not?”