I played many sports growing up, and my dad, who was a good athlete, would frequently dispense instruction, often in front of others. I can remember some of these impromptu lessons vividly, more for the embarrassment factor than for what I learned.

Kids, after all, want to do things their own way, and they make the distinction between advice from a true coach and a parent very quickly, soaking up the former and often rejecting the latter.

As the parent of 9 and 7 year olds, I now have experience from both the child's and adult's perspectives. Like my dad, I too and big on instruction, and have learned the hard way from my kids that less is often more. Rather than trying to analyze and correct every throw or swing, which usually resulted in my kids not wanting to play any more, I've realized that it's sometimes better to let them do things their own way at first. They gradually learn what works and what doesn't, and tend to be more open to tips from me once they've tried it their way.

All of which is to say my kids are now more eager to go to the park to play soccer, basketball, baseball, Frisbee, etc., with their dad, which is really what I wanted all along -- to enjoy sports with my kids.