How to Use the Toolkit?
Start with Self-Education
Explore the articles and resources included in this toolkit, as well as those throughout the TrueSport website.
Bring it Into Daily Life
Use the guides and resources during the season and off-season for meal planning, mental check-ins, and goal reviews.
Check In on Well-Being
Regularly talk about mental wellness, self-care, and stress—reminding your child it’s okay to ask for help and take breaks when needed.
Lead by Example
Model good sportsmanship, healthy choices, and ethical behavior, reinforcing these values at home and in the community.
Give Back Together
Encourage your athlete—and the whole family—to join or help start a TrueSport Club or participate in mentoring programs.
Stay Connected
Subscribe to the TrueSport Newsletter for the latest tips, articles, and videos to support your athlete’s development.
How to Become a TrueSport Parent or Guardian
Action Plans & Resources
Helping Your Athlete Build a TrueSport Mindset: Encouraging Goal Setting, Embracing Challenges, and Growing from Setbacks
Supporting your child’s journey as a TrueSport athlete goes beyond the scoreboard—it starts with helping them set meaningful goals and develop a mindset for growth. By providing an environment where your young athlete sees challenges as opportunities and learns from every experience, you’re helping them grow into a stronger, more adaptable person. Celebrate their effort, reflect together on what they learn, and praise the small steps forward. With your support, your athlete will build habits of perseverance, thoughtful decision-making, and self-improvement—skills that fuel their success in sports and in life.
Help your athlete set goals that will help them remain focused to achieve their dreams.
One-of-a kind, interactive learning experience featuring TrueSport Athlete Ambassadors that explores how their focus on developing key life skills and core values helped drive their success both in athletics and life.
Fueling for Performance What Parents Need to Know
When it comes to helping your young athlete succeed, what they eat and drink plays a vital role in their energy, focus, and recovery—both in sports and in everyday life. As a parent, encouraging balanced meals and regular hydration sets the foundation for their best performance. It’s also important to guide them in making safe choices if they consider dietary supplements and to talk about the value of competing clean—without shortcuts or banned substances. By supporting smart habits around nutrition, hydration, and clean sport, you’re not only fueling your child’s physical growth, but also helping them build lasting healthy routines and strong values. Use the trusted resources here to keep your athlete healthy, informed, and ready to play their best.
Discover tips on fueling for peak performance, hydration, gut health, and safer supplement use—empowering athletes of all levels to make healthy, confident food choices.
This easy-to-understand guide helps athletes at all levels and their families make smart choices about supplements.
This guide provides practical information to help caregivers, athletes, and coaches identify possible risk factors for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), determine appropriate strategies for prevention, and provide support for athletes at risk for REDs and the associated health effects.
Empower your team to reach new heights—explore how perseverance drives peak performance, builds character, and learn actionable ways to foster it in your athletes with the TrueSport Perseverance Lesson!
Results that come from competing clean are the only ones that matter. Help build habits that stick.
Mind & Body Building Healthy Young Athletes
As a parent, helping your child thrive in sports goes beyond encouraging hard work and healthy eating—it also means supporting their mental wellness. Caring for both body and mind gives young athletes the best chance to reach their goals, handle life’s ups and downs, and truly enjoy their sport. A strong body helps with training and performance, while a healthy mind helps your athlete manage stress, stay positive, and bounce back from challenges. Encourage a balance of activity and rest, nutritious meals, and open conversations about feelings. By making both physical and mental wellness a priority, you’ll help your child develop confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love for the game.
Everyone experiences anxiety at different points in their life. Here are 5 simple steps to help you F.I.G.H.T anxiety.
Stress is easier to handle when you are intentional about how you manage feeling uncomfortable. Use this exercise to support young athletes when they are feeling stressed.
Values in Action Building Life Skills Through Sport
As a parent, it’s important to remember that youth sports offer far more than a chance to win games—they’re a powerful way for your child to learn skills that will last a lifetime. On the field, your athlete practices more than just athletic moves; they learn how to resolve conflicts, lead by example, work as part of a team, and communicate with respect. These life skills—like responsibility, resilience, and cooperation—help your child handle challenges in sports and everyday life. Supporting your athlete’s growth in these areas lays the groundwork for confidence, strong relationships, and success at school, at home, and in their future career. By focusing on life skills, you’re helping your child build character and values that reach far beyond the final score.
Become your child’s biggest supporter. Our Parent Pocket Guide is a condensed booklet with advice and guidelines that will help you help your athlete.
TrueSport recognizes that parents are vitally important to the development of life skills that will equip their athlete for success both on and off the field. Abiding by this Code not only facilitates success, but also ensures that children enjoy a more positive and healthy sport experience that respects their social-emotional growth as well as their physical development.
Recent Articles for Parents
What People Are Saying
This was my third year in attendance. Each year I have been able to take so much back to my program, staff, and athletes. We are better because we attended.
TrueSport’s dedication and commitment to their educational initiative is obvious, and it was meaningful for the audience to be coaches this time around. As coaches, we need more reminders around mental wellness and this was the perfect venue to address these issues.
Exceeded expectations. Presenters were knowledgeable, prepared, and could make the material enjoyable. Most importantly, there were ‘actionable’ items in all sessions.
Together, We Build Better Athletes, and Better Humans
Join the TrueSport community to get resources, support, and a values-driven approach to sport that lasts a lifetime.