Recap of Workshop for Parents: Building communication with your athlete

Helping Parents Support the Whole Athlete: A Recap of Our First Workshop

Earlier this month, we hosted our very first parent workshop—and we’re so grateful to all the families who joined us! Whether you were able to attend or are just hearing about it now, this post is your go-to recap of what we covered and how it can help strengthen the connection between you and your athlete.

At the heart of our soccer training program is a belief that development extends beyond technical skills. That’s why we created this workshop series—to equip parents with tools for effective communication, emotional connection, and long-term mindset development.

What We Focused On

1. Creating Emotionally Safe Communication We explored the common tension points around post-practice and post-game conversations—especially the infamous “car ride home.” Through strategies inspired by Crucial Conversations, we discussed how to avoid judgmental language, minimize distractions, and turn difficult moments into meaningful ones.

Tip: Set the tone by asking open-ended questions like, “How did you feel about the game?” instead of focusing on the score.

2. The Power of Presence One of the most impactful themes of the night was how being present can create space for vulnerability and genuine connection. We practiced replacing common knee-jerk reactions with empathetic, curiosity-driven responses. For example:

• Instead of: “Don’t be upset, it wasn’t that bad.”
  Try: “That sounds really frustrating. Want to talk more about it?”

• Instead of: “Did you win?”
  Try: “What did you learn out there?”

Presence helps your athlete feel seen and safe enough to take ownership of their own growth.

3. Growth Mindset & Praise We looked at research by Carol Dweck and how the way we praise our kids directly impacts their mindset. Praising effort (“You worked really hard on that!”) rather than talent (“You’re so good at this!”) leads to:

• Higher resilience

• More willingness to try difficult things

• Lower risk of burnout

• Greater long-term motivation

We also discussed the concept of “antifragility”—the idea that, like muscles under stress, young athletes can grow stronger through adversity if given the right kind of support.

4. Silent Saturdays & Letting Them Drive the Bus We introduced the Silent Saturdays initiative as a powerful tool to help players develop independence, decision-making skills, and confidence. By stepping back and allowing space for reflection and self-direction, we can help our kids build the skills they need both on and off the field.

Let them drive the bus. Our job is to guide, support, and be present—not to take over.

What’s Next?

We’re just getting started—and we’d love to have even more families at our next session. In May’s workshop (May 15th), we’ll be diving into burnout and motivation—two topics that affect many youth athletes but aren’t always talked about openly.

If you're interested in receiving more resources between sessions or want to submit questions/topics you'd like to see covered, let us know—we’re here to support you and your athlete every step of the way.

Thanks again for being a part of this journey with us!