"If you don't play football, then you don't get an allowance." "If you're not starting, then you don't go out this weekend."

To many high school and grade school kids, these are common threats made by overbearing, sports-crazy fathers, and maybe even mothers. Children of all ages hear this every practice or game, and feel that they are letting their parents down if they don't excel in sports. Some parents may not even make these statements outright, but give the same impression by putting way too much emphasis on sports. Teens and young adults feel like failures when they let their parents down, but it's even worse when they let them down in something like sports, which our society glorifies and publicizes.

Although parents do not think that they are being too overbearing or intense toward their kids when it comes to sports, they still may be making their children feel uncomfortable. Many parents, especially fathers, try to live out their youth through their children. To them, if their son scores a touchdown, makes a three pointer, or breaks a tackle, then they are doing the same. My grandfather, for example, loves to watch me play football because he thinks back to when he played himself. But on the other hand, my father gets almost angry if I miss a tackle, or fumble because he almost feels like he is the one who made the mistake. My father may feel that his youth is leaving him, and that I am his last outlet to youthfulness.

Children in elementary school get all upset and worried if they mess up in sports, just as their parents do, because their parents set this example. Many children have parents who coach Little League soccer, baseball, hockey, and football. These parent-coaches usually put the worst pressure on their children, and other parents' children as well. They treat Pee-Wee hockey like the NHL, and act like a Saturday Pop Warner football game is the NFL playoffs. Because of this, young people don't always get as much enjoyment out of their sport.

Many kids get pressure from their parents to play a certain sport they may not like, just because their fathers may have played. A child may have great talent at soccer, but will never get the chance to play because his father makes him play football, just like he did.

All in all, parents should put their kids' enjoyment in sports first, before their own pleasure. ?