Raising an ambitious young athlete is one of the most rewarding and challenging roles a parent can take on. The investment of time, energy, finances, and emotion required to support a child pursuing high-level sports is significant — and with that comes inevitable highs and lows.

As parents of elite student athletes, we see how much our children love their sport, how much they sacrifice to excel, and the pressure they face to perform well. What may not be so apparent, is the mental toll of approaching their goals with expectations of perfection.

Navigating conversations with authority figures is an important skill on and off the field.  At its core it’s about self-advocacy and proactively clarifying and anticipating the expectations of coaches or other authority figures. In the business world, this ability is called “managing up.”