A parent’s guide to getting better.
You don’t need to know the sport to help your athlete improve. You need a good program, a little structure at home, and the right kind of encouragement. Here’s what we’ve learned from coaching kids — and what we’d want to know as parents.
Rec, club, or clinics?
They solve different problems, and many families use more than one. Rec leagues are built for playing the game with friends at a modest cost. Club programs are built for athletes ready for a competitive, often year-round path, with tryouts, travel, and a larger time and financial commitment. Clinics like ours are built for one thing: focused instruction on the fundamentals in a short, contained block.
If your athlete loves their sport, wants to get better, and isn’t ready for — or interested in — a year-round commitment, a clinic before their next season or tryout is a good place to start. Read more in the club gap.
What to expect at an Elevate clinic
You’ll check your athlete in with a staff member, and you’re welcome to stay and watch. Athletes warm up together, then rotate through technique stations in small groups by age band, with a coach at each one. Sessions end with feedback — one thing they did well, one thing to work on — and the cue to remember it. At the end of the day, athletes are released only to you or an adult on your authorized pick-up list. See how clinics work.
Questions worth asking.
Whatever program you’re considering — ours or anyone else’s — these questions tell you a lot.
- Who will actually be coaching my child, and how were they screened?
- How many athletes will each coach be working with?
- How are athletes grouped — by age, by experience, or both?
- What will my child work on, specifically?
- Will my child get individual feedback, and what will they take home?
- What is the plan for heat, injuries, and head injuries?
- How do drop-off and pick-up work?
Helping at home without coaching.
Short and frequent beats long and rare
Fifteen focused minutes a few times a week does more than one long session. Keep it light and stop while it’s still fun.
Practice the cue, not just the skill
Ask your athlete what cue their coach gave them, and have them say it out loud before each rep. The cue carries the technique.
Celebrate the right things
Praise effort and good form — “your platform was really still” — more than outcomes. Correct form comes before consistent results.
Leave the coaching to the plan
Your job is reps and encouragement. If something looks off, ask your athlete what their coach said about it rather than adding a new instruction.
Talking about tryouts
Tryouts are a big moment, especially the first one. Help your athlete focus on what they control: preparation, effort between drills, communication, and how they respond to a correction. Find out the real dates early — our tryout calendar shows typical windows, and your school’s athletic department has the exact ones.
And talk about the outcome before it happens. Making the team is great. Not making it this time is a common part of youth sports, not a verdict on your kid — and the skills they built getting ready are still theirs for the next tryout, the next season, or the next sport. No program can promise a roster spot, including ours; what preparation does is give your athlete their best chance to show what they can do.
Health and safety
Make sure your athlete sleeps, eats, and hydrates well before any clinic or tryout, and send them with water and sunscreen for outdoor sports. Questions about pain, injuries, concussions, or medical conditions belong with a licensed health care provider. Read our safety standards.
Give them a date to get ready for.
Join the list with your sport, age band, and city. We’ll email you when a clinic opens near you — no commitment until you register.