At some point, every sports parent reaches the end of the road. The early morning practices, the long tournament weekends, the emotional highs and lows – they eventually give way to something quieter. Reflection.
This past Saturday, my youngest son’s college lacrosse team celebrated senior day and although I have had one son already go through a collegiate senior day and have personally experienced this “end of the road”, I was taken back by all of the emotions each parent displayed – and I witnessed how the moment hit differently for every person. I reached out to these parents for their fresh thoughts on Senior Day and their sports journey reflections so I could pass them on to you, the current sports parent generation; in the hopes that their insight and knowledge resonates with your parental goals and also gives you food for thought as you continue down your sports parent pathway.
When parents look back after their child finishes their final college season, something
interesting happens.
The things they thought would matter most…don’t.
● It’s not the stats.
● It’s not the playing time.
● It’s not even the wins.
It’s who their child became along the way.
They realize that their role was never to control the journey – but support it.
● To listen more than they talked.
● To be calm when things felt uncertain.
● To create a space where their child felt seen beyond the sport.
Because when it’s all over, what lasts isn’t the highlight reel.
It’s the relationship.
It’s the life lessons.
It’s the resilience, confidence and independence their child carries forward.
And maybe most importantly, it’s knowing they did their best to show up the right way.
If you’re in the middle of the journey right now, this is your reminder:
You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to be present.
If this resonates with you, you’re exactly who the Sports Parent Project is for.
Follow along for real insight, honest perspective and practical support from someone who has experienced the sports experience from all sides; Parent, coach, counselor and former college athlete herself.
Follow Sam Murphy at Greenepsych for more stories like this one or reach out to her at Sam@greenepsych.com for more information on presentations, individual sessions and much more.