A Christian Parent's Guide to Navigating Youth SportsSýnishorn

Growing Humility in Young Athletes

Pride is a trap that catches many athletes. It masquerades as confidence, whispers that greatness requires arrogance, and tempts us to center our identity on what we achieve instead of who we are in Christ. In youth sports, the seeds of pride can grow quickly, watered by applause, stats, and success.

Yet Scripture is clear: pride distances us from God. It’s the posture of the one who says, “I don’t need help.” We're warned in James 4:6 that God stands in opposition to the proud, but he gives grace to those who are humble.

As parents, we should be considerably more concerned about watching our kids live long stretches controlled by stubborn pride than we are about watching them strike out, sit on the bench, or fumble the ball. Tripping over a hurdle is embarrassing, but stubborn pride will destroy a life. There is a tension here worth considering as well. While we don’t want our young athletes to become prideful, we do want them to have some level of confidence. How do we see the difference? Humble confidence builds others up while pride builds only the self.

• The proud athlete says, “It’s all about me.”
• The humble athlete says, “It’s about the team and honoring God.”
• The proud athlete says, “I know it all.”
• The humble athlete says, “I’m still learning.”
• The proud athlete avoids apologies.
• The humble athlete says, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

Action Steps:

To nurture humility, we must intentionally:

1. Let praise come from others

Teach your kids not to boast. “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” (Prov. 27:2 ESV). Instead of talking about how great they are, encourage them to let their play do the talking. When praise does come, receive it with a simple “Thank you”—and keep working hard.

2. Celebrate others’ success

It’s easy to feel threatened by a teammate or opponent who excels. Help your child see greatness in others without needing to diminish it.

3. Think about themselves less

Athletes often become overly concerned with how they look to others. Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself—it’s thinking of yourself less. Teach your child to focus on serving teammates, encouraging others, and playing for God.

4. Ground their identity in Christ

Help your kids know their worth isn’t tied to performance. They’re loved—by you and by God—no matter what. When they believe this, they can play with confidence and humility, free from the need to prove anything.

Prayer:

Father, help me notice the many opportunities sport provides my child to learn about humility. May they desire to imitate you, Lord, by playing in a spirit of humility. Help them see others as more important than themselves and give them opportunities to put that perspective into practice.