If you are an athlete who has always enjoyed sports, it can be difficult to decide to put that behind you. Whether it is giving up athletics altogether or simply switching your focus to another sport. Telling your parents that you want to quit a sports team can be difficult for many younger athletes to do.

There are a few questions to ask and you need to remember about before you decide to talk to your parents. They will want to know why you want to quit. Having answers to that question before you talk to them is a good way to show how serious you are. Explain to them, that you are not simply quitting on a whim. If you are not having fun but you have been in the past, you need to think about what has changed? Is it a new coach that you are not happy with or are you simply not interested in the sport any longer?

You want to pick the time to talk to your parents. There are times when parents are distracted or less able to respond properly to what you are telling them. You may want to talk to them and set up a time soon when you can speak to them. Set aside a good amount of time to sit down and discuss the reasons for your decision. Simply telling them you want to quit and having that be the end of the discussion will not help you. You will be in for an unpleasant time.

Your parents want what is best for you and sometimes this causes them to forget what you want. This applies to many parts in your live growing up, including team sports. Sometimes, parents may see sports as a way for you to get a scholarship or awards of many kinds. Occasionally parents have played the same sports like you. When you say you want to quit, they might feel hurt, because they think they’ve done something wrong. If you are able to address their concerns, this will help you get a head in the long run. When you feel that you can’t talk to your parents, there is another alternative. Try speaking with your coach, a guidance counselor or other trusted adult before you talk to your parents.

Don’t worry about how they will take the news. If you are, think about having that same trusted adult with you when you talk to your parents. They should stay silent for most of the conversation unless there are questions they can answer but you cannot. Having someone you trust may help you get through your talk without loosing your temper or your courage.

In the end, you need to give your parents time to accept your decision. They may have invested much time and money into your athletics. Therefore it may take them longer to be fine with the idea of you turning your back on all of that. If you are clear with your reasons you want to quit, this can help them accept your decision. This will be the time that they support what you want, instead of what they wanted for you.

Picture credit: bcmomCreative Commons Attribution

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