My Parents Want Me to Play a Sport I Hate
This is one of those questions that’s tough to answer without knowing your parents. Are your parents good listeners? Do they typically value your opinions? I hope that you have at least one parent who will listen to you if you approach them the right way.
Think about who that is–or who is closest to being a good listener if you approach them the same way. You need to have a heart-to-heart with that parent. Your goal is to find out why your parents want you to play. They might have many different reasons, for example:
- your parents value physical activity
- your parents believe this sport will help you learn leadership or teamwork skills
- your parents believe this sport will help you get in to, or get a scholarship to college
Their answers will show you the underlying values or goals your parents have. In other words: where they are coming from. Parents often do the things they do because that’s the best way they know to reach their goal–not just because they want control.
So, sit down with them. Focus on the places where you agree. Once you know what’s important about the sport from their point of view, i.e., where they are coming from, you will be that much closer to reaching a compromise. Good luck!
