Thanks to Paris 2024, my kid wants to be an Olympian. What do I do now?

Children all over Australia have been watching the Olympics. At school and at home they have seen athletes win medals, waving flags and doing victory dances. For many this will be the first time they remember seeing the games.

For some kids, this may be the start of a dream to become an Olympian and even win a gold medal.

As a parent, how do you help your child approach their new-found enthusiasm?

Sport is not just about winning

The medals, finals and Olympic celebrations are very exciting. When children watch the Olympics, they see athletes as rock stars. But there is more to sport.

If you are watching the Olympic coverage or other sport, try to point out moments where athletes achieve a personal best or where they have come back from injury or are simply happy to compete.

Also look out for moments of sportsmanship, where athletes embrace at the end of a race (like we see in the athletics) or cheer each other on (like we saw in the gymnastics).

This highlights how sport can be about overcoming adversity, doing your best and caring about other competitors, rather than simply dominating the field.

Also keep medals in perspective.

Winning an Olympic medal is also not an easy or straightforward achievement. In the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, 10,500 athletes competed for 329 gold medals spread through 32 sports. Even when you become an Olympian, you only have about a 3% of chance of winning gold.

You don’t have to get serious early on

It is often assumed the earlier an athlete begins a sport, the better. US gold medallist Simone Biles was six when she began gymnastics. World record-breaking pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis was three when he first tried the sport.

But this is not the case for everyone. A 2023 study that looked 2,838 athletes from 44 Olympic sports showed world-class athletes started with their current sport at the average age of 10.6 and decided to focus on this sport at an average age of 15.6 years.

In fact it may be better if you don’t

A 2015 study cautioned against children specialising in one sport too early. It said beginning a sporting career younger than 11 increases the chances of injury, reduces motor skill development and discourages children from participating in games and competitions for fun.

A 2023 meta-analysis (which reviewed all available evidence at the time) of 13,392 athletes from a wide range of Olympic sports, showed less than 1% of junior champions between the ages of 11 to 13 years become elite athletes. In fact, it is less likely for these young champions to become elite athletes than someone who never practised the same sport until the age of 15.

Use the opportunity

Research shows we are more likely to exercise as adults if we had positive experiences with sport as a child.

So if your child is excited about the Olympics, one way to think about it is “this is a great opportunity to set them up for healthy behaviours throughout their lives”.

Consider trialling a new sport through a club open day. Or if you already do a sport, ask the coach which skills from other sports might be beneficial. There are lots of common (or transferable) skills across sports. For example, a 2005 study showed expert athletes from field hockey, netball and basketball all have the common ability to recognise patterns. When children are young it is important to try lots of things, to develop skills and see what you enjoy.

Read more: 'Watch the ball!': here's why some sideline remarks are probably less helpful to your kids than you think

Advice to parents

For parents, the key message is to keep sport enjoyable and positive for your child.

A 2016 study based on fathers of children who played soccer developed three ways parents could support their children in healthy ways. This involves:

1. empathetic communication: parents listening to children without judgement, accepting their struggles and offering unconditional support

2. a positive approach: this means cheering without advising (leave the advice to their coaches), being positive regardless of the results and praising smaller accomplishments not just the big wins (“that was a great kick!”)

3. reasonable expectations: don’t have false or exaggerated expectations about results, and do not ask kids to be something they are not. Remember, they are just kids.