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NFL veteran and ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky has triplet boys and one daughter. He asked one of his sons what he could do better as a sports parent. The answer? “Get out of the way.” Too often we get so involved in our kids’ activities that it hurts their growth. Dan sat down with Ted Lowe and Bobby Lewis to discuss how to blend sports and parents, properly motivate kids, and the joy of seeing them succeed.

A little about Dan. He played professional football for over a decade in the NFL. He can be seen on multiple ESPN shows sharing his football knowledge. Dan has been married to his wife, Tiffany, for 15 years and spends much of his time trying to teach his four kids some life lessons he learned as a pro athlete. 

Youth activities, particularly sports, are great teaching tools for kids. It stresses the importance of dedication, teamwork, and perseverance. One thing Dan stressed in our conversation is the importance of keeping those activities in perspective, warning that for him growing up, sports became “the god” in his house. 

We shared some sobering stats in Episode 12, How Do We Help Our Kids Realistically Believe in Themselves?  Fewer than 2% of kids will wind up like Dan, drawing a paycheck from a pro sports team. But, as many as 40% of dads in the stands think their kid will “make it,” according to a Harris Poll. 

To guard against over-parenting, over-coaching, or making activities stressful for his kids, Dan tries to say one simple phrase after games: “I don’t care how you did. I care how you did it.”

Today’s Pro Move: Encourage your kids. Cheer for your kids. Help them be their best. But keep things in perspective during their activities. 

Other resources:

7 Teachable Moments on the Sports Field

5 Ways Recreational Sports is Running Our Family Life

The Value of Sports for Our Children

5 Ideas for How to Handle a Bad Coach as a Parent (iMOM)

More From Dan:

3 Things I Learned From Losing

5 Things That Don’t Require Talent

3 Inspiring Ways to Motivate Your Kids

Dan’s article archive

For Mom: The ladies of the iMOM podcast tackle the topic of how to deal with harsh youth sports coaches

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