Understand the sport. Skateboarding has provided me a sense of confidence and self-esteem that I couldn’t have found elsewhere. It lends itself to a level of creativity that’s as much an art form as it is a sport. When you step onto a skateboard, you can do it however you want and you’ll be accepted as a skater. I feel best about my skating when I pull off a move I’ve never made before, even if someone else did it first. That’s the feeling I’m always going for, and that’s what your kids will be getting out of it too.
Back off. Sometimes it’s hard for parents who grew up playing traditional sports to know when they’re pushing their kids too hard in these newfangled pursuits. It’s simple. You know you’ve pushed your kid too hard when he’s no longer having fun. This isn’t about you. This is about your kids. Give them space to play and develop at their own pace.
Tony Hawk, 39, is the most accomplished skateboarder in the sport’s history, and his name adorns a roller coaster at Six Flags St. Louis. Sales of his products exceed $500 million a year.
Back off. Sometimes it’s hard for parents who grew up playing traditional sports to know when they’re pushing their kids too hard in these newfangled pursuits. It’s simple. You know you’ve pushed your kid too hard when he’s no longer having fun. This isn’t about you. This is about your kids. Give them space to play and develop at their own pace. 
