Do I Let My Child Quit When They Aren’t Enjoying It

Parent Question:  “My daughter is 7 and we are three weeks into the fall season. She has expressed that she is no longer enjoying playing. Do I let her quit now or make her stick out for the season/year with the hope that this is just a phase?”

Expert Responses

We received six expert responses from Youth Coach Advisory Group members
Anthony DiCicco, Allie Galoob, Stephanie Hempen, Danielle Fagan, Dai Redwood, and Tom Turner.

Even though your daughter is only 7, she can benefit and grow through the lessons a moment like this creates. This is an opportunity for her…and for you. If she is able to articulate that she isn’t enjoying playing, it’s worth the exercise of diving deeper to try to understand what about the experience she isn’t enjoying. I would suggest that you don’t want to force her to keep playing, but you do want her to understand the implications of being part of a team and the value of seeing something through, even when or especially when it gets hard.

I would also inquire about how much time she spends away from her team practicing with her ball. This is one place as a parent you play a big role. Helping her to improve technically will help her to find more success when with her time in training or games. It’s an opportunity to spend time on a shared initiative with her, to support her and becoming technically stronger will help her to express herself through the game. If the resistance is too great, it’s okay if she stops playing immediately, but it will leave some valuable life lessons and the opportunity this moment presents unrealized. 

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