The Side-Line Coach:

Parents who constantly give their child advice from the sidelines, who interfere with the athlete’s ability to think for him- or herself or to hear and react to the coach’s directions.

The Side-Line Coach will correct every swing at the plate, position every movement on the field, and contribute constant feedback—positive and negative. The Side-Line Coach parenting style causes confusion, anxiety, and frustration for athletes, leading to declines in mental awareness, skill development, and, eventually, enjoyment.

The Analyzer:

Parents who examine every detail of their child’s athletic performance.

The Analyzer will incessantly lecture their child with the particulars of what needs work to improve. When they’re not lecturing, they’re working with them on technique in the backyard or sending them to private lessons with professional coaches. The Analyzer parenting style causes athletes to overthink, which can lead to anxiety and errors on game day and eventually a lack of enjoyment.

The Delusional Fantasizer:

Parents who maintain a belief that their child is better than all their peers and destined for a career in professional sports, despite evidence and generally accepted views from experienced coaches.

The Delusional Fantasizer will question their child’s team placement, playing time, and position; make negative statements about other athletes that they see as a threat to their child; and attach their own self worth to the athletic success of their child. The Delusional Fantasizer parenting style causes either embarrassment or entitlement in the athlete, both of which leads to alienation from teammates and eventually lack of enjoyment in sports.

The Over-Trainer:

Parents who push their child to train beyond what is safe and developmentally appropriate, based on the belief that that pushing will give their athlete a competitive edge.

The Over-Trainer, one of the most destructive parenting styles, will send their kids to multiple private coaches, require that they constantly work on their skills at home, and push them while in the weight room and/or during practice time to go beyond what their bodies are ready to achieve. The Over-Trainer parenting style leads to injuries, mental burnout, and eventually lack of enjoyment. Depending on the child’s personality, this parenting style can also lead to anxiety and depression.

The Belittler:

Parents who make disparaging comments about their child’s athletic performance—directly to their child and to others.

The most emotionally destructive parenting style is The Belittler, who makes only negative comment’s about their child’s performance and contrasts their child’s abilities to higher performing athletes. The belittler parenting style causes low self esteem, anxiety, and depression. Children of belittling parents can experience a lack of enjoyment in sports and in life.