Cloud Nine
The Front Nine Tips for Parents Raising Junior Golfers, Hole 6
One of my more challenging parents to advise was a father who could be very critical and harsh of his son’s performance. Weeks would go by where he wasn’t happy or content with his progress and nothing ever seemed good enough. One day, his son won a national qualifying event for one of most prestigious tournaments in the country and would be representing his state on a national stage. His father’s demeanor changed to an outgoing, fun and relaxed attitude. He smiled and laughed, “I’m on cloud nine and so proud he is FINALLY playing well. We are having fun!”
His son told me in confidence that he now felt more pressure than ever before. “I have never seen him that happy with me and I don’t want to be a disappointment again.”
“Can you be a positive and proud sports parent all the time? Or does it take a big win to smile?”
Betty Baird Kregor is an LPGA Master Teaching Professional and owner of StraightShot Inc., specializing in the DISC personality system to mentor and advise athletes of all ages and abilities.
In 2014, Kregor retired from over 27 years of teaching golf to consult athletes in the mental aspects of sport an serve as a "performance coach" for goals, scheduling, practice programs, college advising and more.
Her LPGA education in DISC profiling allows an athlete to maximize their performance with "self awareness" of their strengths and weaknesses. It is also an important tool in finding the right college fit. College athletic consulting is a service that benefits 9-12th graders in learning how to market their talents, schedule college visits and value the importance of academics.