Do you ever wonder what to say when your athlete is struggling?

Do you feel lost when your athlete faces failure and setbacks?

Do you want to know what coaches at the elite level expect from you and your athlete?

At the highest levels, athletes need more than physical skills to succeed. They need resilience, emotional agility, and the ability to manage relationships. These attributes can best be honed by the right kind of parental support. In this groundbreaking book, the authors help parents navigate the challenge of supporting their athletes while also fostering the autonomy needed for peak performance. Playing the Long Game offers the tools to walk this fine line.

You will learn:

  • Strategies to help your athlete grow from setbacks and failures.

  • Methods to help your athlete manage difficult emotions.

  • Tips to promote your athlete’s intrinsic motivation and ownership.

  • Questions to ask your athlete that will get beyond one-word answers.

The book is divided into the following nine pillars of behavior for athletes that are critical for performance at the elite level:

  • Pillar 1: Show Up Ready to Learn and Grow

  • Pillar 2: Show Up Focused on What You Can Control

  • Pillar 3 Show Up Prepared to Be Proactive and Resourceful

  • Pillar 4: Show Up Ready to Communicate and Manage Your Relationships

  • Pillar 5: Show Up with a Professional Mindset

  • Pillar 6: Show Up with Emotional Awareness and Flexibility

  • Pillar 7: Show Up Resilient in the Face of Failure and Setbacks

  • Pillar 8: Show Up Ready to Receive and Process Feedback

  • Pillar 9: Show Up for Your Team

Each chapter includes:

  • strategies for helping your athlete develop critical behaviors;

  • evidence-based research;

  • sample dialogue between a parent and athlete;

  • conversation starters;

  • reflection questions, and much more!

“This book is essential reading for any parent of an elite athlete. It’s the first book that put words to my experiences and gave me concrete processes to approach even the most difficult situations. It’s packed with evidence-based strategies and supporting research, yet easy to read. I wish I’d had this sooner on my journey parenting DI and DIII athletes.”

— Dr. Lisa L. Billings, Adolescent and Young Adult Clinical Psychologist