November 24, 2025   |   Tagged Parenting,

How Parents Can Help Their Kids Take Initiative for Basketball Development and Life

How parents can develop student-athletes who take initiative.

Helping a son or daughter gain initiative on and off the court is an important task to teach as parents. This is easier said than done. One of the greatest mistakes parents make is creating a home where the initiative for anything meaningful in a son or daughter’s life is energized by you.

If a parent must energize motivation for school, working out, eating healthy, being loving to family members, getting along with siblings, helping out, etc…, their son or daughter will struggle with initiative.

In this situation, parents have taken over the responsibility that belongs to their son or daughter. They are doing their kids’ work and creating a system where a child waits for someone else to take the initiative.

Sometimes when that happens a parent reacts by stopping cold turkey and then blames the child for failing. They tell them, “You are now fully responsible,” without giving the son or daughter tools and skills to take the initiative.

Without any habits in place, the son or daughter immediately fails or falls short which can create a system of shame.

Wise parents work with a son or daughter to build habits of initiative. They give them enough to succeed but never leave them stranded which could lead to a major failure.

Responsibility and reward go hand in hand.

Car use without car care and maintenance is a recipe for disappointment and frustration. One parent made it clear, C grades equaled C basketball shoes. If the student wants A level basketball shoes, they must bring in A level grades. A grade of a C in this household equated to below average. Every family is different. This father knew his son was an A student and anything less was misappropriation of time and attention.

Here are a few great ways to build initiative:

1. Everything begins with the big dream.

What are the student’s dreams for their brain, their life calling, their family, home, and friendships?

If a student struggles to imagine this, perhaps there is pain and bitterness and cynicism about the future. These mute vision and big dreams. Bitterness, apathy, cynicism, despair take mentoring and wisdom to solve.

2. Once a student has articulated a few beautiful life dreams, help him or her outline inner qualities needed to achieve these goals. Too many people start with the behavior instead of the mindset. Life is lived in the mindset and the behaviors follow. If the life goal is a loving home, then the mindset needs to be a life of listening, gratitude, service to others—this will lead to helping clean up the dishes and resolving conflict with kindness.

3. Next identify with your student what tasks they can be responsible to initiate and what tasks they would like help to complete. Have the student take the initiative to create deadlines, consequences and spend time together.

4. Celebrate victories, problem solve mistakes with understanding, model your own level of initiative.

Thank you, NBC Basketball parents for being people who value the mission of NBC Camps --to be better parents and people. Better doesn’t mean perfect, but a life well lived. We are happy to partner with you in your greatest job on earth.

About NBC Basketball
NBC Basketball has been training athletes, parents and coaches for success since 1971. For more information about these life changing programs visit www.nbccamps.com.