The Car Ride Home
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The Twenty Minutes That Matter Most
- Many former athletes remember the car ride home more than the games.
- After a game, kids are tired, emotional, and watching your mood closely.
- The game belongs to the coach and players. The car belongs to you.
Read the transcript
In the last module we talked about the sideline, and how to be the calm parent in the stands. Now the game is over, your kid is walking toward the car, and the hardest part of the day is about to begin. Ask adults who played youth sports what they remember most, and very few mention a specific game. A lot of them mention the car ride home. The drive after a game is when kids are most tired, most emotional, and most exposed to whatever their parent is feeling. A win can be undone in twenty minutes of critique. A loss can be made survivable by twenty minutes of quiet support. That's why this module is a whole module. The game belongs to the coach and the players. The car belongs to you, and what happens there shapes whether your child wants to play next week. Our goal in this module is simple. You'll learn what to say, what not to say, and when to say nothing at all.