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Many children get into sports through their parents. In soccer, mostly the father can start a passion for soccer. Quite a few professional soccer players have dads that were soccer coaches or professional soccer players themselves. This support of parents, especially the father, could be the difference between a good soccer player and a professional one. Find out how the parents can help their child become a professional soccer player
Why Dads Are important For Gettings Things Started
In 1980 it was found that for boys to become very interested in sport, the father is especially important. The study stated that;
“analyses revealed fathers as predominant socializing agents for high-involved males”
The study furthermore revealed that for female athletes the father’s influence was only slightly greater than the mother. Later research found that the father’s support can be critical. The study found that athletes sticking to their sport reported more support from their fathers compared to athletes dropping out.
It Takes 2 Parents To Keep Your Child On Track
Although the father is important to get the child motivated and supported, Both parents are needed when there is a struggle. A study from the Netherlands followed 59 youth players from AJAX. The youth players get to know during the season whether they will continue playing for AJAX the following year. This decision comes with stress and psychological problems. A soccer player typically knows whether he is in favor of a coach or not. The study found that when players were asked to leave the club parent support was crucial.
The study found that the players did not have extreme psychological problems when they had parental support. When the support was lacking, psychological issues were prevalent. This could be critical as many future soccer players don’t succeed at first. Many professional soccer players had to take a step back when they were young. Having supporting parents can keep the child on track of becoming a professional soccer player.
Examples Of Players Taking A Step Back Before Making It Big
The list of soccer players taking a step back before making it big is too large to list down. A couple of players include.
- Klaas-Jan Huntelaar; Huntelaar had to take a step down to the club De Graafschap after being found to light for PSV. Huntelaar would later become the striker for AC Milan, Real Madrid, and AJAX.
- Kevin De Bruyne; De Bruyne went from Chelsea to Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg before making it big at Manchester City.
- Ronald De Boer; Ronald De Boer could not make it in the starting 11 at AJAX. De Boer took a step down to FC Twente before making it big at AJAX and Barcelona.
- Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst; Van Bronckhorst had to take a step down to RKC before making it big in Arsenal, and Barcelona.