The Car Ride Home, Part 1: My Wake-Up Call

We are a big reason many kids quit sports. When sports stop feeling fun, kids lose interest and the desire to play. When we push too hard or miss the tough emotional moments, we can slowly squeeze the joy out of the game.

Just the other day, I heard a story about a boy who had a rough game and an even rougher night afterward. He said he never wanted to play again, that it was not fun anymore, and that he did not care. Most of us have been in that story in one way or another and seen our kids reach that point. This time, it was my son and my story.

It was a cold, rainy night, with the wind cutting through everyone on the field. The other team played a very physical style, and my son picked up a slight injury in the first half. He came off to recover for a bit. I gave him some time to rest and asked if he felt okay to go back in before I sent him on again.

He kept playing through the pain and the misery of the game, hiding how much it hurt because he did not want to let his coach down. When the final whistle blew, he walked off in tears from the pain, the frustration, and the weight of the night.

On the way to the car after the post-game talk, he realized he had lost his favorite ball. He said he did not care about finding it, because he never wanted to play again. He was angry, upset, and hurting. He just wanted to go home.

But first, he had to face something most kids know well. He had to endure the car ride home with his dad.

That night was a wake-up call for me. It was not just about the weather, the other team, or the lost ball. It was about how much power I carried in those moments between the field and our front door.

I have always known, but that night I was reminded that the ride home can either help our kids heal after a challenging game or be the moment they decide that sports are no longer worth it.

In Episode 2 of this Car Ride Home series, I will break down the most common car ride habits that push kids away from sports and what they actually hear when we talk.

If you want to keep your child in the game and protect their love of sport, come back for the next part, or better yet, read my book. We will talk about the simple traps most of us fall into and how to start changing the script, one ride home at a time.