Why did you put your kids into sports? Was it because you wanted them to learn a life skill? Maybe you thought about how you grew as a person from your athletic days, how you got good at time management, became healthier, and gained more overall confidence. You only want the same for your kid. I am so sorry to break it to you. There is a possibility that won’t happen.
Sports, as a general cadre of activities, won’t make your kid turn out any particular way. Participating in athletic activities is not the magic formula for positive development, but it can be the perfect site for real change to happen.
I’ve been writing and alluding to the concept of sports-based youth development. Sports-based youth development (SBYD) is a framework for running sports programming. Essentially, all those amazing benefits you want your kid to receive can happen if the sporting experience is planned intentionally. If the coaches and staff intentionally design the environment to be adequately challenging. If they think through the skills they want the kids to gain and intentionally shape activities so the kids can practice them. And perhaps most importantly, if they intentionally shape the culture of the program to be supportive and to foster positive relationships. Then, with intention, you will get the results you are looking for. It’s not magic. It’s intentionality.
The Sideline Fix 
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