Coach May & 57,
Both of your posts are sooooo right! I have mentioned before that I was "that guy" when Ryno was younger, but thankfully, I figured it out. I was still not perfect, but I was much better. My biggest hang-up was the cockiness/overconfidence. I was lucky because Ryan had good coaches along the way, and truthfully, I didn't know how to teach hitting or pitching. When he became a teen, I decided to be the good cop, and let the coaches be the bad cop. This saved our relationship!
He is currently struggling a bit, and it is nice that we have a good relationship, because I am able to support him through positive conversations and texts. My desire was to always help him reach his dream, but I had to learn how to do it correctly.
My advice is to be as positive as possible, because they are most likely taking their struggles really hard. Sometimes when they are struggling, I think they feel they are out there by themselves with no support. DON'T let them feel that way. Pick them up when they are down.