During a slump. What to say.
What to say when your kid is stuck in a stretch of bad games. The script for when the spiral starts.
What they're feeling
- · Like they've forgotten how to play.
- · Pressing harder and making it worse.
- · Dreading games instead of looking forward to them.
- · Wondering if they've permanently lost something.
What to say (pick one)
- "Slumps end. Every player goes through them."
- "What part of your game has felt okay lately?"
- "The work you put in doesn't disappear."
Then stop talking.
What not to say
- "You need to figure out what's wrong."
- "You were doing so well. What happened?"
- "Are you sure you're not hurt?"
The rule
A slump is a performance problem. Don't let it become an identity problem.
If they bring it up
- · Ask about one small thing they can control in the next practice.
- · Talk to their coach if the slump is affecting their confidence, not just their stats.
- · Don't add extra pressure by tracking the streak.
- · Let them separate who they are from how they're playing right now.
Pin this
During a slump
- · Keep the conversation short and low-stakes.
- · Focus on one controllable thing, not the whole picture.
- · Let the coach do the coaching.
parentcoachdesk.com/scripts
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