Crazy Sports Parents With Marv Marinovich
Channel: Mental Toughness Trainer
Date: 2011-08-23

http://www.mentaltoughnesstrainer.com

Crazy sport parents http://www.mentaltoughnesstrainer.com/youth-sports-parents/

All right parents, are you ready to hear a REAL parenting horror story?  

I know we have all watched parents, who are over the top crazy for their kids in sports, but the story of NFL football player, Todd Marinovich and his Dad, Marv takes the cake.

Marv Marinovich starting from day 1 completely managed everything about his son, Todd's life so that he would eventually become an NFL star. Something he was never able to accomplish!

After harming his own NFL lineman career, by overtraining and focusing too much on weight and bulk, Marv opened his own athletic research center.  

He later applied the techniques he developed to his own young son, introducing him to athletic training before Todd could even get out of his own crib and strenuously continuing it throughout his childhood and adolescence.

After Todd won "High School Player of the Year" award in 1988, Sports Illustrated did an article entitled: "Bred to be a Superstar".

Listen to some of what was in the article:

"He has never eaten a Big Mac or an Oreo or a Ding Dong. When he went to birthday parties as a kid, he would take his own cake and ice cream to avoid sugar and refined white flour. He ate only unprocessed dairy products and even teethed on frozen kidneys.  

When Todd was one month old, Marv was already working on his son's physical conditioning. He stretched his hamstrings. Pushups were next. 

Marv invented a game in which Todd would try to lift a medicine ball onto a kitchen counter. Marv also put him on a balance beam. Both activities grew easier when Todd learned to walk. There was a football in Todd's crib from day one. "

Long after Todd's professional career had ended, an ESPN columnist still named the elder Marinovich Marv, one of history's "worst sports fathers."

What eventually happened, was Todd got into drugs while in high school.  His drug problem got worse, once he went to college and later while playing in the pros.  

Unfortunately drugs are what ultimately ended his career.  Today he is still in recovery and I  really wish him the best.

Now that, of course, is an extreme example of a parent living out their sports dreams through their child and a perfect example of how it can go really wrong.

Most parents of course never go to such extremes BUT, it can be just as damaging when parents act pushy even in very subtle ways.  

I can't tell you how many times I've worked with young athletes to help them clear up the pent-up hurt and shame they have from trying to live up to their parent's expectations.

I want you to check in with yourself as a sports parent here for a minute and ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you tell your kid what he did wrong and what he needs to do better in the car on the way home from the game? In the future, this is the worst time to do that.

2. Does your body language show your disappointment when you watch your child perform sub-par?  Kids pick up on this big time.

3. Do you ever hear yourself yelling at the officials?  Kids cite this as the number one most embarrassing thing that can happen to them.

4. Do you force your child to participate in a sport when they really don't want to?   You need to ask yourself with all honesty why you are pushing this and is it worth it to your child's confidence and self worth to play just for you.  What toll does this take on your family?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, I've got a free ebook you might get a lot out of reading called The 10 Commandments for a Great Sports Parent

Go to http://www.teenmentaltoughness.com to get your free copy.

This could be one of the most important things you read as a parent to quickly learn techniques and tools to boost your child's confidence and to keep your communication and love flowing.

I get so much pleasure out of seeing kids playing for the love of their sport.  I applaud those of you parents who lay the groundwork to make this happen.

Share some of you crazy sport parent stories in the comments below...

Visit http://www.teenmentaltoughness.com to download FREE: 

"The 10 Commandments For A Great Sports Parent" ebook
and  "Master The Pressure" a GAME-CHANGING guided visualization for teen athletes.