When we talk about the parents of athletes, it's always a tricky subject, especially for me, who accompanies my son Roc every weekend, forming part of the audience in his basketball games. I observe the family "environment" from behind my shield, a tripod and an iPad to record the game. It's my observation tower and "protection," my world from which I can draw conclusions.
Let's go back to the roots, to the beginning of the journey in my case, 16 years ago when I became a father. Yes, it was the best decision of my life, accompanying my son's wonderful journey through life.
Surprisingly, facing such a responsibility as being a parent and, from birth, being an educator until your child reaches adulthood, you encounter countless "novelties" from the moment of birth until today. There is no regulation, no preparation, no prior training for any of it.
Everything is learned through a chain of "mistakes" due to lack of experience or training.
The state regulates all the "licenses" that exist, the identity, driving, piloting, study, vaccination cards, etc. Yet, surprisingly, there's no license or training for being a father or mother. I'm not referring to authorization for procreation, of course, but to providing tools for parents from the beginning to avoid later harm to children due to a lack of a "license," training, or experience.
Having made this philosophical introduction, I go straight to our reality in sports, not now, but always, perhaps now more so due to the current state of stress and bipolarity in our society.
Now, I am a parent in the stands, drawing on my experience of years coaching and "managing" the family environment. Now I experience the "other" side, the family side.
I go to basketball games, and you know how in some sports, more or fewer "hooligans" are present. I see groups of parents who shout at referees, opponents, and sometimes even their own team and coach.
Hooligans with a license to "kill games" because no one has trained them to provide proper support. Instead, they ruin and make their own children, daughters, and teammates nervous or crazy. When they play, their morale collapses in shame at seeing them unleashed, obsessed, and ill-mannered. Result: Their child, their team deliberately lowers performance.
The game in these cases doesn't end on the court, it's almost always lost. Later, if possible, the referee is insulted, blamed for all evils. Upon returning home, a sermon loaded with negativity and excuses is delivered, protecting the child, and so it goes week after week.
Fortunately, not everything is "black." You see teams, clubs, their parents, player, and coaches who are all properly "trained," educated, and understand the chain of benefits that it provides. Generally, these are the teams that win the majority of games, both in results and education. And when they lose, a positive reading of it allows them to continue enjoying the team and its journey.
It's not magic; it's a conscious job of comprehensive support training. Probably, our guru, visionary, and genius in player management and support, Pep Marí, is to blame, or specialists of his level—there are few.
At Vibliotec, we want you, as a father or mother, to have your special "training" license to have the correct support tools. It's our mission, our reason for being.
Find these tools in the Vibliotec course There is only one Messi. The world is full of Messi's parents.
And the more people Pep trains, the better quality and enjoyment we will have in all competitive sports. Together, we will achieve a better sports training, and it depends on all of us.
Thanks for reading and being part of our community.
If you want to comment on the article, it will be public on our LinkedIn channel next Tuesday, and there we will open a debate. I invite you to share your vision and concerns on this matter.
Find us on the Linkedin profile @Vibliotecofficial.
Happy week!