As my older son creeps closer to highschool I am beging to realize even more that coaching your own child is a privlege. We have spent time working out together this year and I am watching him turn into a young man. My focus has turned from worry over winning to trying to get him prepared to make more of his own decisions. Turning loose even in small amounts is difficult but necessary to see if as a parent you have taught your kids the right things. In the past I believe I focused to much on the mistakes. Worried that He might not be able to correct himself. But if he is to become a good man he will have to have room to recover without me trying to do it for him. Making sure when our children are young and dependant on us that we dont make ourselves so hard that we dont provide any cushion when they fall will help ensure that when they are a parent/coach they will do a better job than we did. I hope I still have time to soften to try and correct past mistakes with my older son and avoid mistakes with my younger son. I hope that at some point I teach more when I coach than I learn but at this point my kids and others are helping me to learn more lessons than I teach.
Jon Murray
Parsons Wrestling Club