Too often, sports parents set goals for their kids that are different than the kids’ goals. It’s important to help sports kids identify their own goals and then help them follow through on them.

Says Dony Wilcher, a popular basketball coach in Portland, OR: "I had one parent who wanted the world for his child. He went out of his way to get him the right shoes and send him to the best camps. At the end of it all, he was perplexed that the kid was not a superstar. In some cases, kids will veer away from the sport altogether if the parents’ goals are different than theirs."

At first, many sports kids generally want to play to have fun and be with friends. At that point, that’s their goal. It's not necessary for parents to set goals with them.Adults want to structure the sports experience for kids. They can take the fun out of a simple pick up game in the back yard.