The Importance of the Positive Parent Car Ride Home

Why what happens after the game or training could matter just as much as what happens on the field

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You’ve just picked up your child from a session at Prime Soccer Academy. The field or gym lights are off, the players are heading home, and you both sit in the car. What you say in the next few minutes might seem small—but it has the power to shape mindset, confidence, and belonging far beyond the day’s practice.

In this blog we’ll explore the research behind parental influence in youth sport, how a positive “car-ride home” conversation matters, and share practical tips for making those moments count.

Why Parental Support Really Matters

Research in youth soccer consistently shows that the way parents engage with their children has a meaningful impact on their motivation, enjoyment, and long-term participation. For example:

• A study of young male soccer players (ages 10-16) found that parental behaviours characterised by praise and understanding were strongly associated with enhanced life skills (such as teamwork, leadership and decision-making) and greater enjoyment of the sport. PubMed

• Another research project focusing on youth soccer players found that excessive parental pressure or overly active involvement can diminish satisfaction, while players preferred parent behaviour marked by support, encouragement and understanding rather than performance-oriented pressure. PubMed Central

• A cross-cultural study titled Parental support in professional youth soccer academies (2024) noted that children’s perceptions of parental support influenced their emotional responses, perceived competence and goal-setting. It emphasised that supportive parent–athlete relationships matter for development pathways in soccer. SHURA

In other words: those moments in the car ride home, the questions you ask about the training, the tone you bring — they all contribute to a positive sport experience and help your child feel valued for effort and growth rather than just results.

What Happens in the Car Matters

Here’s why that post-training car ride deserves some thought:

1. Emotional Processing & Reflection
   Kids don’t always have time to process what just happened during the session—what felt good, what was hard, what they learned. A calm car ride gives space for that reflection.

2. Belonging & Connection
   When you ask something like, “What did you enjoy most today?” or “What was one tricky moment you solved?”, you signal that their experience matters and you’re interested in their journey, not just the outcome.

3. Mindset & Feedback
   A quick sincere comment like, “I noticed how you tried to use the correct turn in that 1v1 moment—good awareness”, focuses your child on progress and learning. Research tells us that parents oriented toward improvement (vs only results) help build a growth mindset. Rutgers Youth Sports Research Council+1

4. Building Autonomy and Ownership
   If you ask, “What would you like to try differently next session?”, you give them choice and encourage ownership—two things that research links to better enjoyment and persistence in sport. sirc.ca

How to Make the Car Ride Home a Positive Habit

Here are some practical tips you can use consistently:

• Start with a simple open-ended question:
  “What was one thing you did well today?”
  “What was one part of the session you found interesting or tricky?”

• Stay in the “improvement zone” not the “evaluation zone”:
  Instead of “Did you win?”, shift to “What part of the session helped you learn?”

• Offer praise for effort and thinking, not just outcome:
  Example: “I liked how you took space and didn’t slow down — that shows confidence and awareness.”

• Listen more than you speak:
  Give your child space to express what they felt. If they’re quiet, that’s okay—silence followed by “Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed watching you try hard” works too.

• Keep it short and consistent:
  A 2-3 minute conversation after every session can make a huge difference over time. It doesn’t need to be long or complicated.

Why This Matters for Long-Term Development

When these small conversations become habit, they help build:

• Confidence (kids feel their efforts are noticed)

• Motivation (they feel part of something meaningful)

• Longevity (enjoyment stays high, reducing dropout risk)

• Better parent-child relationships in sport context (trust, communication improve) PubMed

Pro Tip (for Parents):
After your child’s next session, try this mini “car ride ritual” for one week:

• Ask one of the three questions above

• Give one positive observation (effort, attitude, decision)

• End with: “What are you looking forward to next time?”

It only takes a minute—and you’ll likely notice a difference in how your child talks about their soccer sessions.

Thank you for being a part of the Prime Soccer Academy community and for supporting your young athlete in ways that truly matter. If you found this helpful, feel free to forward it to another soccer parent—it helps build the positive culture we’re creating in Georgina.