26 Nov The Joy Comeback — How to Reignite Your Child’s Love for Sport
I’ll never forget a young hockey player who told me, “I wish I could love it again.”
That’s when I knew — joy is the first casualty of burnout.
The Joy-Performance Paradox
Parents often assume that fun and discipline can’t coexist.
But in psychology, joy isn’t the opposite of focus — it’s the fuel for it.
When athletes enjoy what they do, their dopamine levels rise, attention sharpens, and learning accelerates.
When joy disappears, so does performance.
The Signs of Burnout
In my Calgary office, I see this pattern all the time:
- Loss of motivation
- Irritability after practices
- Physical fatigue without illness
- Dreading something they used to love
These are emotional red flags — not just physical ones.
A Real Story
One teen soccer player told me, “I don’t even know why I’m doing it anymore.”
When we unpacked it, she realized she was afraid to tell her parents she wanted a break.
After a short pause from competition, she started kicking the ball around with friends again — just for fun.
The spark returned.
How to Reignite Joy
1️⃣ Give permission to rest. Recovery isn’t quitting.
2️⃣ Bring back play. Backyard games, laughter, no structure.
3️⃣ Ask about feeling, not performance. “What felt good today?”
Why This Matters in Calgary
Our city is full of high achievers.
But even champions need joy.
If we raise athletes who can’t rest, we raise adults who can’t stop.
Helping kids reconnect to joy doesn’t make them soft — it makes them sustainable.
Final Thought
When you let joy lead, results follow.
At Still Waters Psychology Calgary, we help families bring lightness, curiosity, and fun back into sport — because a happy brain performs better than a pressured one.
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