July 25, 2008


	The Man of Steele Sports program helped me determine how my character and emotional traits affect my performance on... Alicia Um Nationally ranked Jr.

Parent Sports Quiz

Do you really want your child to excel and go as far as possible in his/her sport? Do you want him or her to have fun and feel good about him/herself? Would you like to help your child avoid becoming a dropout statistic? If your answers are` "yes" to these questions then it is critical that you play the "right" role on the parent-coach-athlete team. Be supportive! Be your child's best fan! DON'T coach! (Unless you are the coach or your child comes to you and WANTS your feedback!)

Take this questionnaire to see if you're doing everything possible to help your child have a successful and healthy sports experience.

1. I get really frustrated and upset when my child
performs below his/her capabilities.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

2. I give my child critical feedback on his/her performance after each game.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

3. If I didn’t push my child, he/she wouldn’t practice.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

4. If my child doesn’t excel and win, I see very little point in them participating in their sport.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

5. I can be very critical when my child makes mistakes or loses.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

6. I set goals with my child in relation to their sport.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

7. I think it’s my job to motivate my child to get better.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

8. I feel angry and embarrassed when my child performs poorly.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

9. The most important thing for my child’s sport participation is that they have fun.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

10. I get really upset with bad calls by the officials.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

11. Most coaches don’t know what they are talking about.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

12. I keep a performance log/journal/statistics on my child’s performance so we can monitor his/her progress.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

13. I feel guilty about some of the things I say to my child after they play.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

14. I try to watch most practices so that I can correct my child when he makes mistakes.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

15. When my child fails I can feel his pain and disappointment.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

16. I think it’s important that my child gets used to having coaches yell at him/her to help prepare him/her for life.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

17. My spouse and I argue about how I treat my son/daughter in relation to his/her sport.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

18. I try to help my child keep his/her failures and the sport in perspective.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

19. I’m never very concerned about the outcome of my child’s game/match/race.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

20. I will not allow my child to be put down or yelled at by a coach.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

21. If my child wasn’t so defensive when it comes to my feedback, he/she could become a better athlete.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

22. It’s not my job to evaluate or criticize my child’s performances.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

23. I feel that my child owes us a certain performance level given all the sacrifices we’ve made for him/her.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

24. I believe my child’s sport belongs to him/her and not to me.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

25. I just want my child to feel good about him/herself and be happy when he/she plays.

	Always true
	Mostly true
	Occasionally true
	Never true

Your Score =

Interpretation

Your scores on the PSQ should give you some idea about where you stand as a sports parent. And more importantly what you can do to make sure you are doing everything possible to help, and not hurt your child's sports experience.

60-50 TIME OUT Red Flags are flying here. Your child stands a good chance that they will burnout on sports completely. If you continue to push your child the odds are their performance will suffer, and they will most likely not appreciate any success they may have. Most importantly your parent/child relationship may suffer for sometime even after they are through with athletics

49-30 WARNING You are over involved and are putting too much pressure on your child. You need to put things into perspective and realize that you are doing more harm then good by pushing your child. Take a BIG step back and see where you can be supportive without being overbearing.

29-20 GOOD You are on the right path to having a memorable experience in sport with your child. Remember to stay positive and develop an environment that allows your child to discover their own passion for athletics.

19-10 GREAT You are on your way to having a terrific relationship with your child in athletics and can look forward to your child having fun participating in competitive sports.

9-0 TERRIFIC Now were talking! YOU are a world class parent who sees the value of athletics in your child's life and has the good sense to allow your child to participate without becoming consumed by the sport. Keep making it fun and your child will thank you for years to come.

*If you have any questions about the best way to bring out the champion in your child you can e-mail me directly at: paul@manofsteelesports.com.