How to Help Your Child See Themselves as More Than an Athlete

A dedication to sport is great, but an all-encompassing obsession isn’t. In many cases, that obsession can lead young people to only see themselves as athletes, with no other identity outside of sport. And when sport goes away­—whether it’s because of injury, high school graduation, or any other reason—that can leave your child spiraling.

Here, TrueSport Expert and licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Melissa Streno, explains why establishing an identity outside of sport is so important and identifies some common mistakes caregivers make around athletic identity for their children.

The importance of establishing identity outside of sport

Streno explains that it’s easy for a child or teen to fall into the habit of identifying themselves in a singular way, and being ‘an athlete’ is a very common identity—especially for a young person who is talented at their sport or simply loves the game. This isn’t a bad thing, at first glance.

But if your athlete is injured or ill, or needs to take a break from sport for another reason, this singularly focused identity can be a problem if, for example, your child doesn’t have other hobbies or communities to turn to. Similarly, a lack of sport or even sport excellence can lead to a lot of negative mental health implications if all their self-worth and value is tied up in their ability to perform as an athlete.

Caregivers themselves can add to this struggle by primarily seeing their child as an athlete, which Streno points out is actually easy to do. For instance, if sport is where your child is thriving, Streno says that it’s entirely understandable to want to support them in the activity that makes them happiest. Second, you may have your own athletic background, and especially if you have a sport in common with your child, it’s easy for that to become the way that you relate to your child. Your own identity can become wrapped up in their athletic identity, which isn’t helpful or healthy for either of you.