Minnesota Hockey: 4 Ways to Make Morning Practices Easier

Do you have trouble getting your child awake and to hockey games on the weekend? Susan Caminiti, writing for Minnesota Hockey website, provides four ways to make it easier.

Minnesota Hockey: 4 Ways to Make Morning Practices Easier

In the article she quotes me several times from a different article. I think there are some very practical suggestions (and not just mine) that can help you. I know from being a parent of a four and five-year-old that getting them up for school is tough enough. You do not want to have struggles on the weekend, too.

In summary, you can make morning practices easier by: 

• Explain the ground rules from the start.
• Don’t withhold information.
• Help them see the big picture.
• Keep communicating.

How can you require your child to go to practice when she doesn't want to?

Ultimately, remember that your child should enjoy the activity and forcing them to go every time really is a recipe for disaster.  Your child will feel controlled (by you) and also feel a lack of ownership over their sport involvement. This creates a young athlete that plays for you instead of for the love of the game. Eventually, playing for you will turn in to a burden and she may resent you for it. And, she will probably leave sport when the opportunity presents its self because of a lack of intrinsic motivation.

Find a healthy balance here. Make your child live up to commitments and at the same time give him the option to do something else when the season is over. Never be afraid to give your son or daughter an "out" of playing sport. Otherwise, you will drive him away and hurt your relationship in the process.