Not too long ago, one of my kids wanted to quit a sport. When he told me he wanted to quit, I squirmed inside. I asked him why and he said, “It’s not that fun and I don’t enjoy all the practices.” As a kid, I was always taught to never be a “quitter.” That old-school mindset was branded into my mind as far back as I can remember.
But as I’ve gotten a bit older, and hopefully wiser, my mind has changed. Now I kind of think, “Who the hell cares? The purpose of a sport is to enjoy the value of team and healthy competition, develop a talent, and have some fun. If you don’t like the three hour practices five days a week, then go find something else you enjoy.”
So the idea of forcing my kid to continue to play a sport, which he really doesn’t enjoy anymore, seems like weird thing for a parent to do.
I realize that much of my “never be a quitter” mindset is based on fear. The illogical thinking goes like this:
1. To be successful, one must work hard and be determined.
2. Quitters don’t work hard and are not determined.
3. Therefore, quitters will not be successful.
It’s not the end of the world if your kid wants to quit.