There is nothing worse...

How do you help your frustrated tween understand that most things in life take practice? It is rare for someone to pick up a bat and hit the first pitch that is thrown to them. It is rare for someone to pick up a tennis racket and hit the first ball that comes their way without sending it over the fence, behind them. It is rare to put on a glove and stop the first bouncing grounder that is hurled your way. It is rare to put on a pair of running shoes and be able to run your first mile, in a decent time. Try telling this to a 12 year old that wants to play basketball for the athletics program in Middle School. The back story to this goes something like this: I arrive at the camp yesterday to witness a very tearful Aubry. As we are walking out to the car, I ask her what happened. She turns to me and says, through sobs, “I am never going to make the team. I suck at basketball.” I understand her frustration. I have been there. Even in my adult years, I encounter things that I don’t get right away and it frustrates me to no end. I have learned to deal with it, step back and realize that it takes time, patience, practice, etc. The difference between me and Aubry…about 25 years. Any how, we get in the car and I wait for her to calm down a bit before I start to talk to her. It is hard to talk to any one that is upset and have them actually hear what you are saying, so I waited for a bit. Once she calmed down enough to talk to, I asked her what happened to make her come to this conclusion. To make a long story short, (I know - too late), she said she was playing basketball with a camp counselor and could not shoot worth a darn. He just so happens to be a basketball coach so he was trying to help her out and give her tips. Apparently, she was not getting it and that frustrated her. We talked about some things that she could do to help her game. We talked about the things that Hunter and I could do to help her get more practice time in. I even mentioned to her that there is more than just shooting in basketball. Maybe that is not her strong suit. It does not mean she will be discounted altogether. I felt really sad for her because at that moment, there was nothing I could say to make her feel better. She has basketball camp coming up, but not soon enough. I need to find another way between now and then for her to get some practice in. Any ideas you would like to share, bring it on. No parent likes to see their kid sad from frustration.