5 ways to help your child become a cricket superstar

Have you always dreamt of seeing your child play with the Indian cap? Have you always hoped to have birthed the next Virat Kohli or Mithali Raj? And to your happiness, your child does show some talent towards spinning that ball or wielding the bat. Then, read on…because here are 5 ways to ensure your child becomes a cricketing superstar!

Develop passion:

First and foremost, nothing can be achieved without the right mix of passion and training. If your child has no passion for the sport, drop your dreams of making them a cricketer. Or a footballer. Or a Golfer. Or a tennis player… You get the idea. Now passion cannot be created; if it’s there, it’s there. But you could gently nudge your child in the right direction by ensuring they watch a lot of the game – re-runs of momentous innings of the legends. Get them to read up about memorable matches and players who made them so via newspapers clippings, online stories and biographies available in the local bookstore. You might want to do these activities together with your child as your involvement is utmost in creating the passion.

Get a good coach:

Like the famous saying – Direction matters more than the speed; you could be very fast, but what’s the point if you are running in the wrong direction – remember, passion is great, but without the right kind of coaching, your child will be left with disillusionment rather than a career. Scout for good coaches and academies around your locality. A great option is the KheloMore app. Go through coaches till you are satisfied; at the same time, do remember that the coach is a coach because he is trained to be one and knows his job well. Ask the right questions without being overbearing; both you and your coach want the best for your child and should work as a team.

Interchange the routine with an individual sport:

As much as it is nice to eat, breathe, live cricket; it is even more important to work the body and the mind with variety of challenges. They are presented in the form of another sport, preferably an individual one that would work different muscles and help your child become nimble on their feet and improve concentration.

Keep a balanced diet:

Food. We all live to eat; but for a sport star, food could make or break their game. Their diet needs to be a healthy mix of protein and carbohydrates, not only during the matches but as a lifestyle. Always.

And that brings us to the last point —

Discipline is God:

Practice. Diet. Sleep. Discipline is required in all these three elements. Even if one goes off-balance, it could cost your child their performance. No excuses – late night movies, birthday parties, family weddings… everything can be attended as long as they do not interfere with either of the above 3. You are allowed to ‘tweak’ their schedule here or there, in small doses, but a major change is a complete no-no.

Superstardom doesn’t come easy. But follow the above tips and you could help your child a step towards it.