August is well underway, and that means athletes across the country are preparing for the start of fall sports. Whether your athlete is a returning veteran player or a first-year varsity hopeful, this time of year can feel both exciting and overwhelming.
No matter how much (or how little) conditioning an athlete completed over the summer, preseason is a significant transition. Bodies are adjusting to increased training loads and late summer heat. Schedules become more demanding. Expectations start to rise. Athletes are reconnecting with teammates, meeting new coaches and trying to discern where they fit in on the projected roster.
That is a heavy load for youth athletes who are also balancing friends, summer jobs, and everything else that comes with being a teenager.
So, parents might be wondering how they can help shift focus away from making the team or adding more pressure to this chaotic time.
Have no fear!
Here are five ways to help your athlete prepare for their best preseason yet.
1. Validate the nerves.
The start of a new season naturally comes with uncertainty. Even experienced athletes typically feel nervous before the first day of practice. Leadership opportunities or starting expectations can add pressure to upperclassmen. Nerves don’t mean your athlete isn’t ready — they mean they care about how they play.
Instead of minimizing or dismissing the nerves, try validating that nerves are part of sports. It makes sense for athletes to be nervous when they care about how they perform and where they might stand in terms of playing time and their role on the team. Validation helps athletes recognize that emotions are normal without letting those emotions take over.
2. Don’t make the moment bigger than it is.
It’s easy for athletes to treat the first week of preseason like it will determine the entire season.
It won’t.
Coaches aren’t evaluating one practice in isolation. They’re looking for consistency, effort, coachability, communication, and how athletes respond over time. Remind your athlete that decisions are made over time, and one play or day isn’t going to determine the season. A single difficult practice doesn’t define them any more than one great practice guarantees success.
3. Plan ahead — and create your routines.
Athletes thrive on routine, especially during uncertain situations, because they’re familiar and expected.
Simple routines reduce decision fatigue and help athletes stay grounded when sports become physically and mentally demanding. The trick is to reduce the number of decisions your athlete has to make before practice even begins. The less energy spent scrambling for gear or wondering what comes next, the more mental energy they have for the field.
Set out practice clothes and necessary gear the night before. Fill sports bags with snacks and electrolytes. Plan breakfast and departure times to ensure athletes are ready before practice begins.
Even during a time when athletes are experiencing so much uncertainty within their sport, they can count on a less-chaotic morning when it’s grounded in routine and a process that makes sense.
4. Remember that growth isn’t always comfortable.
Every season is different. Athletes embrace adjusted roles and welcome new teammates and coaches. Athletes will be tired. They’ll make mistakes. They’ll compare themselves to others and previous years of competition. They’ll get pushed physically and mentally.
Instead of asking about outcomes and performance during practice, consider asking about growth or what your athlete learned. What challenged them, where they felt most proud. Those conversations reinforce that development is the ultimate goal.
When athletes learn to embrace discomfort, they open themselves up to growth and long-term improvement. Help your athlete see preseason for what it really is: an opportunity to build habits and commit to a renewed season ahead.
5. Watch your language.
Yes, you.
Not every practice or tryout deserves a detailed analysis on the car ride home. While it’s normal to want details, athletes often need time to process their own experience before talking about it.
If you’re curious, ask one question and let the conversation unfold. And if it does, let some silence do the talking. Sometimes the best support is being present and listening. Avoid the fixing trap. This sends the message that you’re there if you need them, but happy to let them process the day themselves if that’s their preference.
Parents can’t remove pressure, but they can create an environment where athletes learn to handle it on their own.
(Isn’t that the goal of parenting?)
Carry on.
Jess Lapachinski is an athletic administrator and sport performance professional who lives in the Pioneer Valley. Jess can be reached at jl.victoryLap@gmail.com.