---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Support the athlete, encourage the team…"
description: "\"Support the athlete, encourage the team, help the coach. That's what good track parents do.\" — Don Kardong"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/don-kardong-15282_athlete_support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-h_2079795.png"
---

#  Support the athlete, encourage the team, help the coach…

![“Support the athlete, encourage the team, help the coach. That's what good track parents do.” quote by Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/don-kardong-15282_athlete_support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-h_2079795.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/don-kardong-15282_athlete_support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-h_2079795.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/don-kardong-15282_athlete_support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-h_2079795.png)

> “Support the athlete, encourage the team, help the coach. That's what good track parents do.”

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Good track parents actively support athletes, encourage teamwork, and assist coaches to foster a positive environment.

**In simple terms:** Support athletes, encourage team, help coach.

Key Takeaway

Be an active, supportive parent.

Themes

support teamwork coaching

Mood

encouraging collaborative

Type

advice motivational

When to use this quote

- youth sports
- school competitions
- team meetings

Key Concepts

parental involvement athlete development

Questions to Reflect On

- How can parents balance support and pressure?
- What specific actions help coaches?

A Different Perspective

Parents may lack sports knowledge, limiting effectiveness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coach/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/)

## Related quotes

> [If any athlete is doing well, then it's the responsibility of the government to support the athlete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dutee-chand/if-any-athlete-is-doing-well-then-it-s-the-responsibility-of-the/)

[Dutee Chand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dutee-chand/)

> [In climbing, sponsors typically support an athlete but provide very little direction, giving the climber free rein to follow his or her passion toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-honnold/in-climbing-sponsors-typically-support-an-athlete-but-provide-very/)

[Alex Honnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-honnold/)

> [Yeah, our car was really good even after the crash. I told you before the race that if we had good track position at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcmurray/yeah-our-car-was-really-good-even-after-the-crash-i-told-you-before/)

Jamie McMurray

> [When I sample something, it's just me drawing from what I'm actually into. It's whatever sounds like a good track.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/when-i-sample-something-it-s-just-me-drawing-from-what-i-m-actually/)

[G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/)

> [I have a pretty good track record of what I put my name on, so I don't want to ruin that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shavo-odadjian/i-have-a-pretty-good-track-record-of-what-i-put-my-name-on-so-i-don-t/)

[Shavo Odadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shavo-odadjian/)

> [Since 'Houston Kid,' I've got a pretty good track record. Before that, I wrote some hit songs, but I didn't come into my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-crowell/since-houston-kid-i-ve-got-a-pretty-good-track-record-before-that-i/)

[Rodney Crowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-crowell/)

> [I've been in this business now for almost ten years. I've done a lot of stories. I have a pretty good track record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/i-ve-been-in-this-business-now-for-almost-ten-years-i-ve-done-a-lot/)

[Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/)

> [The industry and my fans' encouragement made me work on my own compositions more, and it is good to see my track 'Yaad Mod…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-randhawa/the-industry-and-my-fans-encouragement-made-me-work-on-my-own/)

[Guru Randhawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-randhawa/)

> [I have a relatively good track record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/i-have-a-relatively-good-track-record/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [A good teammate is someone willing to get outside of personal thoughts and emotions, a friend who tries to understand, appreciate, and encourage other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/a-good-teammate-is-someone-willing-to-get-outside-of-personal/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [Cheer for your teammates, regardless of whether they're fast or slow, veteran or neophyte, varsity or JV. Or rally the spirits of someone who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/cheer-for-your-teammates-regardless-of-whether-they-re-fast-or-slow/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [If an athlete takes a shortcut - literally, for example, by running a street that shortens the marathon route by a quarter mile -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/if-an-athlete-takes-a-shortcut-literally-for-example-by-running-a/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [When we built Roomba, we explicitly designed it to not have a face. We didn't want to think it was cute; we wanted people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-angle/when-we-built-roomba-we-explicitly-designed-it-to-not-have-a-face-we/)

[Colin Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-angle/)

> [Meditate on your God-given strengths and learn to encourage yourself, for much of the time nobody else will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melania/meditate-on-your-god-given-strengths-and-learn-to-encourage-yourself/)

[Melania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melania/)

> [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

## More by Don Kardong

> [Runners like to train 100 miles per week because it's a round number. But I think 88 is a lot rounder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/runners-like-to-train-100-miles-per-week-because-it-s-a-round-number/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [The toughest trail I ever ran was the Escarpment in the Catskills of New York State. This was an 18-mile race through Rip Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/the-toughest-trail-i-ever-ran-was-the-escarpment-in-the-catskills-of/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [Beginning runners come in all shapes, sizes and pre-existing conditions, so there's no magic formula for determining exactly how much basic running is needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/beginning-runners-come-in-all-shapes-sizes-and-pre-existing/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [In those long, lonely miles you put in during the off-season, and in those knife-in-the-gut repetitions and hill repeats that buckly your knees -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/in-those-long-lonely-miles-you-put-in-during-the-off-season-and-in/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [Cold is not without its risks to runners, of course, especially ones who don't head south when winter visits their neighborhood. Even pooh-pooh-ers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/cold-is-not-without-its-risks-to-runners-of-course-especially-ones/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [If an athlete takes a shortcut - literally, for example, by running a street that shortens the marathon route by a quarter mile -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/if-an-athlete-takes-a-shortcut-literally-for-example-by-running-a/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [Fartlek, or speed play, is variable-pace running that emphasizes creativity. During a 30-minute run, choose objects to run to - telephone poles, trees, buildings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/fartlek-or-speed-play-is-variable-pace-running-that-emphasizes/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [Running at night used to frighten me. Part of it was simply safety, the question of whether level ground would truly appear under each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/running-at-night-used-to-frighten-me-part-of-it-was-simply-safety-the/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [A good teammate is someone willing to get outside of personal thoughts and emotions, a friend who tries to understand, appreciate, and encourage other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/a-good-teammate-is-someone-willing-to-get-outside-of-personal/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [We (ultra runners) alternate between depression and stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/we-ultra-runners-alternate-between-depression-and-stupidity/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [You entered a marathon with hills? You idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/you-entered-a-marathon-with-hills-you-idiot/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [When I was in middle school, and teachers lectured about World War II, the conflict seemed impossibly distant and irrelevant. And it had only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/when-i-was-in-middle-school-and-teachers-lectured-about-world-war-ii/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [When I started running, a gadget was a wristwatch with a secondhand on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/when-i-started-running-a-gadget-was-a-wristwatch-with-a-secondhand-on/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [If you run 100 miles a week, you can eat anything you want - Why? Because (a) you'll burn all the calories you consume,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/if-you-run-100-miles-a-week-you-can-eat-anything-you-want-why-because/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

> [For most teenage runners, the right foods means a varied diet, decreasing the amount of fat found in the typical American diet and replacing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/for-most-teenage-runners-the-right-foods-means-a-varied-diet/)

[Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

[Explore all 43 Don Kardong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/)

## More Athlete quotes

> [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/)

[Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/)

> [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/)

[Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

> [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/)

[Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/)

> [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/)

[Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/)

> [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/)

[Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/)

> [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/)

[Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/)

> [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/)

[Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/)

> [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/)

[Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/)

> [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/)

[Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/)

> [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/)

[Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/)

> [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/)

[Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/)

> [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/)

[Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/)

[Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Support the athlete, encourage the team, help the coach. That's what good track parents do.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Don Kardong"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-help-the-coach-that-s-what/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Athlete"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-help-the-coach-that-s-what/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/don-kardong-15282_athlete_support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-h_2079795.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/don-kardong-15282_athlete_support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-h_2079795.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/don-kardong-15282_athlete_support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-h_2079795.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Support the athlete, encourage the team, help the coach. That's what good track parents do.” — Don Kardong",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Don Kardong",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Support the athlete, encourage the team,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-help-the-coach-that-s-what/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/support-the-athlete-encourage-the-team-help-the-coach-that-s-what/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
