Andie Allison Leibach Credits Parents for Positive Sports Journey

Winter sports seasons are starting up. Parents can play such positive role in their son’s/daughter’s sports experience. This week I have a series of posts that are designed to help parents as they try to help their young athletes. 

TONIGHT- Andie Leibach shares how her parents helped her have a positive experience. 

TOMORROW- WGIL.com will share, “Parents Share Playbook for Making Sports a Positive Experience.” In this post five sets of parents share their journey as a sports parent. 

I reached out to Andie Allison Leibach to ask her about how parents can help make athletics a positive experience. Andie has seen it all in sports- she played for the Streaks basketball team, she coached the Streaks, and now she is the parent of three young children starting out in athletics. 

“Made every team a better team.” 

Every coach would love to have someone like Andie on their team. There was nothing lukewarm about her approach, she was all in for her team, whether she played a lot or played a little. Andie just made every team a better team. 

After her junior year in high school, her teammates selected her to be a team captain. Her teammates recognized her ability to lead. And she used sports to continue to grow as a leader. Today she continues to be a leader as a teacher. 

There are so many valuable life skills that athletes can learn- unselfishness, work ethic, leadership, competitiveness, team work, and toughness. Bill and Joyce Allison were parents who “got it,” when it came to sports. They guided all three of their children to use athletics to learn life skills. 

Andie shares her perspective on the role her parents played in her athletic experience. 

“There was no pressure on me from home.”

Massey- You grew up as a “coach’s kid.” Your parents are into sports and are competitive people. How did they navigate wanting you to win/wanting you to have success individually vs recognizing there were bigger life values you should be learning in sports?

Andie- Sports were a huge part of my life growing up. From going to my dad’s football games, to watching my older siblings play, cheering on the Silver Streaks, and even watching on television at home, sports were our norm well before I started participating myself. 

Once it was clear I enjoyed athletics and wanted to play, there was no pressure on me coming from home. The emphasis was always on being a good teammate and working hard rather than winning and losing or playing time. 

I played both basketball and softball throughout my youth and into high school, and then I continued with basketball at Knox College. On some of those teams, I was a major game contributor and on others, my biggest contribution was in practice or as a team leader. 

“My parents celebrated our team wins no matter how much I played.”

I was extremely fortunate to be on some very successful basketball teams in high school and I was definitely a role player on those varsity basketball teams. There would be some games that I would play a lot of minutes and there were other games where my minutes were limited. My parents celebrated our team wins no matter how much I played, and if we did lose, there was no questioning of coaching or decision making or any criticism of me as an athlete. Instead, they celebrated my role and were positive, overall. 

They were fans of our team and, more than anything, were proud that I was a Silver Streak. Looking back, I think this approach helped me to enjoy my experience and be proud of my roles on my teams throughout my years in athletics, no matter what that role was, how many minutes I played, or the number of points that I scored. I can't thank them enough for taking that approach!

“After games, it was support rather than coaching.”

Massey- Your parents knew sports. It is tough for parents not to want to yell instructions, or when you get in the car after a game to give you coaching tips. How did your parents’ handle “coaching you” vs. “parenting you” during your sports careers?

Andie- I honestly never remember my parents “coaching” me. On game days, when I would leave the house, my mom would always say, “play hard!” on my way out the door. After the games, it was support rather than coaching or criticism that I was met with when I approached my parents in the gym. 

“…simply a hug of understanding.”

Even in college, when my team would struggle and we would have a bad loss, all I remember hearing after the game was a positive comment or simply a hug of understanding. As a coach, I remember seeing players occasionally met with criticism outside of our locker room after a game. I remember thinking about how hard that had to be on those players who had just battled in a competitive game to immediately receive a lecture. I never had to deal with that type of negativity as a student athlete. 

My dad was a coach for my entire life, including a stint as a girls basketball assistant coach. It would have been very easy for him to find opportunities to coach me or be critical of me or a team I was on, but all I remember was his support. I remember his willingness to take me to the weightroom in the basketball off season. I wasn't there because he forced me to go - I was there because I wanted to get stronger and he helped me with that opportunity. 

The core memories I have when it comes to my parents and my athletics was their pride in me and what I was doing as a teammate, and their unyielding support of our team. 

“To be on a team means sacrifice and responsibility to a larger group with shared goals.”

Massey- What life values did you get out of sports?

Andie- I’m not sure there is anything more valuable for young people than being on a team. I learned and improved skills in communication, leadership, cooperation, coachability, and teamwork, among many others. I learned that everyone has a role to play on a team, every role is important, and everyone can be successful in his/her role to contribute to the team. To be on a team means sacrifice and responsibility to a larger group with shared goals, which is invaluable for young people. 

I also made lifelong friendships through my teammates and my coaches, and I have so many positive memories. I am so grateful for the lessons, experiences, and relationships I gained through my participation in sports.

“Let my experience be MY experience.”

Massey- As you look back now, how would you finish this— My parents made my sports experience a great experience because they______.

Andie- Let my experience be MY experience. No one was living vicariously through me and no one was pressuring me or sucking the fun out of my experience. I loved my teammates and I loved being a member of each of my teams, and my parents celebrated and supported me on those teams.

“Guide them as a parent rather than a coach.”

Massey- Advice to parents with athletes?

Andie- It sounds cliche, but my advice to parents would be to simply enjoy the ride. The time in which kids can play and enjoy sports is so short. I think it is very possible to be competitive while also staying positive and supportive, rather than critical. If parents want their children to enjoy their experiences with athletics, the parents must let them, and guide them as a parent rather than a coach. 

As I begin to watch my own children start their experiences with youth sports, I hope to take lessons from my parents' book and choose to celebrate their roles and encourage them to play hard and have fun with what they are doing. I hope that my three kids continue to play sports, but that is because of the lessons they can learn through athletics and being on a team rather than any sort of "glory" that can come with sports.