Stop Babying Your Kid

I see it all the time.

Kid comes in to train. Talented, athletic, has all the tools. But the second they get coached a little hard — they freeze. Shut down. Start looking around like they’re in trouble. Some even glance over at their parents like, “You gonna save me?”

That’s not a coaching issue. That’s a parenting one.

Too many kids have been babied their whole life. Never been pushed. Never been told the truth without a cushion. Every little thing gets softened or excused — so when they finally hit real adversity, they don’t know what to do with it.

Being coachable is a skill. So is taking criticism without breaking. But they’ll never learn either one if every time it gets uncomfortable, someone steps in and makes it easier.

I’m not saying don’t support your kid. Support them by letting them face challenges. Let them fail, get coached, bounce back. That’s where growth happens.

If you always jump in to protect them, you’re not helping — you’re holding them back.

Let them struggle. That’s how they get better — in sports and in life.