I read today in Repubblica, Italian newspaper, an interview with Valentina Diouf, young players of the Italian volleyball team, at the question of how important is the family for an athlete she responds:

“It ‘s fundamental. You have to figure out if a young has the characteristics of a career in sports, or else ruin him/her.”
I totally agree with this response and I believe that the family can not escape to cope with this educational function. Unfortunately, many parents live, instead, in the hope that their son/daughter  becomes a champion and this happens not only in those sports where success is associated with the economic wealth that could be achieved but in any sport that is clay pigeon shooting or volleyball. These guys live in family situations where the parents realize their dreams of success through their children. Today compared to the past is possible to have a sport career for a young teenager but this must be integrated with the other fundamental commitment, the school. Tennis is a sport where is more outrageous this approach to success, that 90% of players will not reach. Rarely families realize that their children will never become players of high level, because it’s easier for everyone to hope in the next tournament or change coach. And ‘common for these children / and we had a schooling facilitated, so the idea of ​​continuing studies is a very difficult choice because they have acquired the skills to know how to study, and this is often accompanied by lack of other interests besides tennis. Often the only option for them is to become teachers and future teachers of tennis. Work beautiful and interesting but how to do it, if you do not have the necessary scientific culture and sport. How to teach something that has failed as players without a personal journey of personal development?
Of course none of these aspects is dealing with it, because the circles of court and to the Federation only affect those who play while others are a burden to hide and avoid. In this sense the parents are not alone in this their commitment to education and there will be no systematic form of support and perhaps even education directed at them.