A few weeks ago my son and I had the opportunity to meet with the parents of Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals). Joe’s uncle and I used to work toget
her. His parents were incredibly down-to-earth and humble. We talked quite a bit about parental involvement in Joe’s development as a young athlete.
They emphasized that they were very hands-off during games—they didn’t yell or try to coach from the sidelines (even though Joe’s dad was a professional coach). They were always encouraging, never frustrated, and avoided pointing out mistakes. The only time they were firm with Joe was when it came to poor sportsmanship. They also shared that even today, Joe hears their voices during games after a bad play, he can hear them telling him to shake it off and move on.
I wanted to share this because, as you know, parents can often be very active in their children’s development. Coaches do their best to manage this, but it may be helpful to re-emphasize how words of encouragement can help players, while criticism—especially during games—can be harmful.
Another thing that stood out was the emphasis on playing multiple sports. Joe played football, basketball, and baseball growing up. He dropped baseball in high school but didn’t specialize in football until college. They felt that switching between sports really helped his development and kept football enjoyable.
