10/15/2026
When a young athlete is struggling, every parent wants to help.
That is natural.
That is love.
But sometimes the most powerful support is not fixing the problem right away.
Sometimes it’s helping your athlete discover that they can handle hard things.
Resilience grows when young athletes have space to feel disappointment, think through challenges, ask for help, and try again.
That might mean letting them talk to the coach instead of speaking for them.
It might mean giving them time to cool down before discussing a bad game.
It might mean listening before offering advice.
It might mean reminding them that one hard moment is not the whole story.
Parents can support resilience by shifting from “I’ll solve this for you” to:
“I’m here with you.”
“What do you think your next step should be?”
“What did you learn from this?”
“How can I support you without taking over?”
That kind of support builds confidence.
It teaches young athletes that mistakes are survivable.
That feedback is useful.
That disappointment can be processed.
That challenges can be faced one step at a time.
And for military-connected kids, who may already navigate change, transition, and uncertainty, those lessons matter even more.
Sports can be a powerful place to practice resilience—but parents help make those lessons stick.
Not by protecting athletes from every hard moment.
But by helping them believe they have what it takes to move through them.,
https://www.randyjonesfoundation.org