Being A Sport Parent Is Hard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Being a Sport Parent Is Hard!”

I have heard it all before.

“My kid wants to quit because he is afraid he’s about to be cut.”
“My kid is not getting the playing time he deserves.”
“My kid’s coach favours his own daughter.”
“How can I use basketball to motivate my kid to do better in school?”
These are just a few of the issues that a sport parent faces as they help support their children on and off the court.

Hello, I’m Stephanie Rudnick!

I am the owner of Elite Camps, the largest basketball company of its kind in Canada. Each year we teach more than 4000 athletes how to be better basketball players.

Over the years we have mentored hundreds of staff to become better leaders on and off the court by showing them how they can use their experiences as players to become successful in life after sport. We have counselled thousands of parents about how to help their kids navigate the world of basketball.

I am also a mother of three young boys, ages 12, 10, and 5.

They have all started their own basketball journeys. You might think that with the wealth of experience I have accumulated over the past 17 years of running my business, and with what I learned in the 10 years before that as a high-level basketball player, I would have all the answers when it comes to their involvement in sport.

The Truth About Being A Sport Parent.

The truth is, though, parenting an athlete is hard. There is no right way to raise an athlete. The journey of a sport parent can be frustrating, lonely, amazing, and extremely gratifying all wrapped into one. With all my experience as an athlete and business owner I have learned lessons that should surely help, but in the end there is no guarantee they will make my journey any easier than your own.

The Search For Support.

I have often searched for books to recommend to the parents of our athletes to help them navigate the ups and downs of sport. But I realized quickly that most parents really just wanted to hear how other kids—and their parents—managed the whole process. They wanted to hear real-life stories that could help them gain the practical insights they were searching for.

So I created Life Is a Sport…

Life Is a Sport is a book series on many different sports—chances are your child plays one of them. It is also a related blog. Both were created to help you navigate the sports world by reading and learning from others who have been there before you. It takes the good, the bad, the ugly, and amazing to teach our young athletes how to be successful on and off the court.

We have all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. I invite you to join my sports village.

If you’d like your sports story to be considered for a future book or for use on our blog, submit it here. We’ll pick and publish our favourites!