Often times, athletes have been playing their sport for the better part of their lives by being mentored and trained by their parents. Living in Libertyville and growing up playing sports as a kid at Butler Field and having parents coach was a thrilling experience for many. For some athletes at LHS, parents have been involved in their athletic career from a young age.
For senior baseball pitcher and future player for Cedarville University Andrew Plunkett, his dad has always had a great impact on him as he started playing.
“My dad got me into baseball around when I was 6. He loves the sport and he started coaching me at a young age, which made it the sport for me,” Plunkett said.
When starting off playing a sport, there needs to be a passion from the young athlete and the correct guidance by his/her parent. For someone who wants to play a sport from a young age all up until college, it takes love for the game and complete support from family, friends, and coaches. In Andrew’s case, his dad was the person guiding him through baseball all his life.
“He’s definitely been a huge part of me becoming a better baseball player; he has taught me a lot of what I know,” Andrew said.
Being a “winning” parent is a term that is used when it comes to how to raise a child, whether it be with sports or not. In an article by Dr. Allen Goldberg, a specialist in sports psychology and mental toughness, on CompetitiveAdvantage.com, there are 13 steps to becoming the ultimate sports parent. A few that stick out are about teaching kids how to fail and deal with failure, and to not define success by winning and losing.
“I started teaching Andrew baseball around 3 years old and began helping coach his teams at 6 or 7 years old. I was fairly serious from the beginning,” stated Andrew’s dad, Dave Plunkett.
Mr. Plunkett saw great potential in his son at an early age as he pushed him to do his best to improve his “natural abilities.”
LHS junior swimmer Siobhan Prince has worked very hard to get where she is now, and she believes that her parents are a part of her success.
“Swimming is a huge part of my life and without my parents helping me through, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” she said.
As a varsity athlete, Prince has had times where she has been worn down from 5 a.m. wake-up calls and long practices, but she says that her parents remind her of her goals and how all of the morning and late-night practices will help her reach them.
“Siobhan is independent and very committed to swimming. She makes sure that she attends most practices and manages her time well with school and swimming,” said Siobhan’s mom, Ann Prince.
When watching an athletic event at LHS, parents are asked to respect both teams by acting as an appropriate audience. Here at LHS, parents or guardians of athletes are asked to sign a Code of Conduct that states how they should act at games and how to treat their child. This code is to be accepted fully and it has rarely been a problem in the past, according to Athletic Director Briant Kelly.
“As always, we encourage our parents and student-athletes to communicate about their expectations for athletics at the high school level,” stated Mr. Kelly.
Without support from a parent or sibling through tough times, playing a sport may become a drag. Student athletes often need that rock to lean back on when times get tough.
Parents everywhere treat their children in different manners during a game situation;for example, there is the scream in the face to see if that will work parent and then there is the I’ll just sit here and watch in silent parent.”
A survey conducted over the past decade by two men who are a part of Proactive Coaching LLC looked into what makes a nightmare sports parent. Bruce Brown and Rob Miller, the creators of this survey, asked hundreds of college students to think back to their best and worst memories of playing sports as a kid involving their parents. The result of the survey was that the dreaded ride home after a tough game was the worst experience. The awkward conversation between the athlete and parents could very much be relatable for kids pasts here at LHS as a rough game at Butler Park could turn into an even more rough ride home. On the contrary, the most positive things that parents can say to their kids is that they love watching them play, according to the article.
For LHS junior and girls gymnast Maddie Knollenberg, gymnastics has been a huge part of her and her parents’ life.
“I started gymnastics at a young age and as I kept on doing it, my parents became more and more serious with me about it,” stated Knollenberg.
Although at times Knollenberg has gotten tired of gymnastics, the support from her parents keeps her going.
“I have had to travel a lot for gymnastics and my mom always helps me with my preparation before I perform,” she said.
Athletes from LHS have had and will continue to have parents and guardians who help them prosper in their athletic careers.
