The car ride to games is usually filled with excitement….but sometimes not. If a child is feeling confident they will frequently show it in their behavior – behaving in their normal way chatting it up, listening to music, etc. If they are not confident – if perhaps they are not feeling like they are ready – they will engage in behaviors out of the norm.
Watch, listen and be there. The idea here is truly to watch their behavior. Sometimes the best things you can do are to say nothing and gauge their mood.
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Confidence Building
If they are younger players, they will really listen to you as parents. You could say something about how great they were the other day trying what the coach was asking them to do. This gets at previous success stuff and reminds them that, yeah, I remember that.
Older players are a bit savvier and take some real patience. Perhaps you can ask, “can I give you some feedback?” Ask what they are looking forward to in the game…perhaps you will get nothing in response. Maybe if they are frustrated with their playing time or position, add something of a persistence builder like “trying things is important and it builds a better understanding of the game.” But ensure you end with something along the lines of “whatever you do, I will enjoy watching you play.”