A youth softball team provides your child with regular physical activity while building softball skills and teamwork. While some children are content playing softball year after year, others decide to quit due to lack of interest or an unpleasant experience on the team. Instead of trying to force your child to rejoin the team, work with her to find a way to reignite her interest.
Identifying Causes
Before you are able to get your child interested in softball again, you need to know what caused her to originally quit the team. Some children simply stop enjoying the sport or find different interests they prefer. Other times the child doesn't like the competition, doesn't feel like she is talented enough, dislikes the coach or doesn't feel like a part of the team. Talk to your child openly about softball and why she decided to leave the sport.
Come Up With Solutions
Based on the conversation about the reasons she quit softball, work with your child to find solutions to make the sport more appealing again. For example, if your child felt her former team was too competitive, suggest finding a non-competitive league where she may focus more on enjoyment. If she wants to play other sports, look for various leagues in both sports for different seasons so she can play both at different times of the year.
Get Involved
Parent involvement in the softball program may sometimes encourage a child to participate. Consider volunteering as a coach or umpire for the softball team if your child would feel more comfortable with you around. Take an interest in her softball practices and games to show support. Some leagues look for parent volunteers to organize fundraisers, concession stands and other events. All of these activities get you involved to make softball a family activity.
Ease Up
Despite your attempts at reigniting an interest in softball, your child may still resist. Forcing your child to rejoin a team is likely to backfire and cause her to dislike the sport even more. Give her time to potentially rediscover softball on her own to avoid more conflict. If she truly doesn't want to play softball, encourage her to explore other sports or physical activities. For example, if the pressure of playing a team sport is too much, encourage your child to try running in local fun runs. She still gets necessary exercise without the stress or displeasure she feels when playing softball.
Posted in: Softball