We’ve all seen, and maybe been, those enthusiastic parents shouting, criticizing, encouraging, berating, and coaching from the the stands. This behavior can embarrass and humiliate the student athlete, undermine their performance, and even push them from a sport they may love, or worse, from the family. When a parent tries to relive past glories through their child, they rob the child of their own achievements and identity. And, they apply pressures that can cause serious dam

Maintaining peak performance at all levels and avoiding failure at all cost can be daunting. There’s pressure from coaches, the team, management, sponsors, and media. In many cases, the strongest pressure comes from self. For student athletes, add in pressure from parents, peers, and academics and you’ve got a pressure cooker. It often comes down to character, that all important ingrained essence of an individual. Reference books vary on the precise definition of “character.