let Your Kids Play Sports Without You, Says Abby Wambach

don’t feel guilty if you can’t make it to your kids’ after-school sports practices, says two-time Olympic gold medalist Abby Wambach.

Leaving your kids with their teammates and coaches – without your supervision – can make them more resilient, conscientious and internally motivated athletes, the former U.S. Women’s National Team soccer star said in an Oct. 21 interview on NBC’s “TODAY Show.” All of those traits can help them grow up to become accomplished adults parenting experts say.

“Drop your kids off … Sit in your car,play on your phone,do whatever you want to do,read a book,go for a walk,but do not go to the practice,” said wambach,a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame who now has three step-children of her own. “This is a time for your kids to play, to not be looking over their shoulders [to see if a parent is watching].”

If a child looks over and sees their parent looking at them on the sideline, it could “outsource their motivation” and make them either nervous or overly driven to impress, Wambach said in a Sept. 23 episode of her “Welcome to the Party” podcast.

Nothing should “encumber them from trying something new, taking a risk, making a mistake, trying something, being successful,” said Wambach, adding: “We want our kids to be