LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Kim Clijsters of Belgium smiles during the mixed doubles match between John McEnroe of the United States and his partner Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Martina Navratilova of the United States and Jamie Murray of Great Britain during the Wimbledon No. 1 Court Celebration in support of the Wimbledon Foundation at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on May 19, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Kim Clijsters, the Belgian former professional tennis player, shared her perspective on how to encourage and nurture young kids to get on their own athletic journey. She also delved into the role of parents in shaping the athletic journey of a young player.
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Clijsters opened up about the impact of her father’s influence on her mindset during the peak of her career in tennis. Being a mother of three kids herself, Kim Clijsters shared her insights into the significance of the support and guidance that she received from her parents during her professional endeavors.
Kim Clijsters’ advice to all sporting parents
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Drawing from her own experience, Kim Clijsters shared her perspective on how to strike a balance between support and pressure while advising youth athletes. “Find a good balance”, she said when asked about her advice to sporting parents. She also spoke about the way her parents kept her grounded and encouraged her to take breaks when needed.
In the podcast, Kim Clijsters said, “my mom would help me kind of rewash all the dirty laundry and pack the suitcase up again and fly off to the next place.” Such parental support matters a lot when it comes to helping a child fly higher in their profession.
While revealing the perspective of her late father and using this experience as advice for all sporting parents, Clijsters added, “But my dad was the one who tells me not leave your leave your tennis bag in the garage for five days, go with your friends, go to the movies, take your sister go to the fair, whatever it was, and enjoy that”.
Similar to Kim Clijsters, even the Williams sisters developed a lot because of the strong support they received from their father, Richard Williams. The childhood coach of the Williams sisters, Rick Macci, while talking about Richard, once said, “He never Wavered Blinked Doubted Second Guessed Hesitated or Retreated in Any Decision with his girls. This guy was so Stubborn and Focused he even Argued With Himself! LOVE THE KING! @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams”
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Kim Clijsters talks about the power of motivation that she received from her father
Being the daughter of a professional soccer player, Kim Clijsters talked about her experience of growing up in a positive and nurturing environment where she received constant support and inspiration from her father. She said, “I feel very lucky that I had a dad who my dad, my father played a few World Cups and soccer and he was not very well known in Belgium.”
Clijsters continued, “when it comes to soccer, and just to learn from him as an athlete, and he was the one who told me in the beginning, when I came on tour, I would have played 40 tournaments a year, if I couldn’t write, I was so excited.”
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Kim Clijsters’ experience as the daughter of two professional athletes has shaped her perspective on how to nurture and raise kids with a positive attitude toward sports. What are your thoughts on her advice?
Watch more: ‘Couldn’t Be More Happy’ – Kim Clijsters Seizes Opportunity to Make a Heart-Warming Admission About Friendship With Andy Roddick
Kim Clijsters Cites Late Father’s Experience to Dish Out Advice to Parents of Young Athletes
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