BOUNCE SESSIONS · FOR SPORTS PARENTS
They play the game.
You play a part.
You want to encourage without adding pressure, offer guidance without taking over, and be there without becoming another coach. This conversation is for you.
Next session: date to be announced · Online
Hosted by Jean Pierre Ciesielski, founder of The Bounce Mentor and author of Ne Volez Pas Leur Rêve.
Live conversation · Q&A
You want to do the right thing. That's what makes the role so hard.
You've driven to practice, organized weekends, cheered, comforted, paid, waited, and hoped.
Then the competition gets tougher.
- A coach offers an opinion.
- An agent reaches out.
- A team makes an offer.
- They make the roster. Or they don't.
- Your child gets in the car after a tough game.
And suddenly, being a caring parent doesn't automatically tell you what to say.
The final buzzer sounds. The conversation is just beginning.
Sometimes the ten minutes after a game are when we most want to help, and when it's easiest to say too much too soon.
- Should I analyze the game?
- Offer encouragement?
- Ask a question?
- Give them quiet time?
We'll explore these real moments together, without lectures about what a 'perfect parent' looks like.
Have you asked yourself any of these questions?
After a tough game
What should I say now, and what can wait?
When the coach makes a decision
When should I speak up, and when should I let my child handle it?
When they are on the bench
How do I discuss playing time without turning it into a family crisis?
When an agent gets in touch
What should we verify, ask, and whom should we talk to?
When a team offers an opportunity
How do we make an important decision without rushing?
When college recruiting begins
Scholarships, actual fit, academics: where do we start?
When they're injured
How do I stay supportive months into recovery, when the attention has faded?
When they make the team
How do I celebrate without making every result the new expectation?
When they are cut from the team
How do I support them through disappointment without taking it on myself?
When they lose confidence
How do I help without trying to fix every problem?
When they're succeeding
How do I stay their parent when everyone else wants to be their friend?
As they become more independent
When do I stop deciding for them and start helping them decide?
Leave with a simple framework for four important moments.
- 01
Avant le match
What kind of support actually helps? How can you avoid adding pressure they never asked for? - 02
After the game
Words, silence, and questions that open a conversation instead of forcing a postgame breakdown. - 03
When a big decision comes up
Teams, coaches, recruiting, school, agents, and moving away: separate emotion, facts, and choices. - 04
As your child grows
Move from making every decision to being a trusted sounding board.
Things young athletes may want their parents to understand, even if they can't find the words.
I want to be allowed to make mistakes without feeling like I'm disappointing you.
Sometimes I need you to be my parent before you become my advisor.
Help me think it through. Don't always do the thinking for me.
When I'm ready, teach me how to make my own decisions.
These are illustrative statements, not real client testimonials.
At first, you make a lot of decisions for them. Then comes a different role: teaching them to decide.
The goal isn't for a young athlete to stop needing other people. It's to gradually learn how to:
- 01understand what is happening around them,
- 02ask better questions,
- 03tell supportive advice from unwanted pressure,
- 04choose whom to listen to,
- 05take responsibility for their decisions.
At The Bounce Mentor, we call it:
Becoming the CEO of your own development.
UNDERSTAND · DECIDE · CONNECT · TAKE ACTION
Parents are often the first people who can help build that responsibility.
Independent doesn't mean alone.
Anything is possible when you dream, dare, work hard, never quit, and… surround yourself with the right people.
A parent's job isn't to have every answer. It's also to help a young athlete recognize the people they need: coaches, teachers, medical professionals, agents, and mentors, and understand what each person does. Building a trusted circle is a skill that can be learned.
Your support team
The Athlete
Own your decisions. Build your team.
The Bounce Mentor helps athletes understand who can help, why it matters, and when to ask.
25 years looking beyond the scoreboard.
Jean Pierre Ciesielski
For more than 25 years, Jean Pierre Ciesielski has supported athletes and their families. His work across Europe, Africa, and the United States informs his approach to the decisions, relationships, identity, and transitions that shape an athletic journey. He's the founder of The Bounce Mentor and author of Ne Volez Pas Leur Rêve.
- 25+ years of firsthand experience
- 150+ athletes supported on paths toward US college programs
- Europe · Africa · United States
- Author of Ne Volez Pas Leur Rêve
BOUNCE SESSIONS · FOR SPORTS PARENTS
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- Formatlive online session with Q&A
Frequently Asked Questions
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You don't have to be a perfect sports parent.
You just need to understand the role you play.