As a child, I acquired a pure and deep love for sports. During those early years, I developed my mediocre athletic abilities to their highest possible level, and I had fun and continued to dream every step of the way. As a parent, I have taken deliberate steps to provide my five children with the same opportunity. Now, as I look back upon my first 18 years of parenting, I realize I have become an expert at nurturing a passion for sports in kids. I could write a book on the topic, but in this limited space, I’ll share my top-three tips.
Before we begin, two caveats: First, not all children are inclined to love sports, and a child who is apathetic about sports will be completely unaffected by the tips below; he will wonder why you are wasting his time. (That said, these guidelines can be adapted to fit any interest, such as music, or computers, or reading.) And second, I do not profess to be an authority on "how to raise a star athlete." My expertise lies in fostering enthusiasm for sports once the tiny flame of interest has been kindled in early childhood.