Your kid is talented. You know it.
You’ve watched every practice, driven to every tournament, and sat in the stands for every big moment. You’re proud. And you want to help your kid.
That instinct is not wrong.
But how you act on it can either open doors for your athlete or close them.
More parents than ever are managing Instagram accounts for their high school (and too often, middle school) athlete.
Some are doing it well. Most aren’t. And the difference isn’t effort. It’s intent.
What the account is for
A well-run athlete Instagram account serves two things:
It builds a first impression for people who don’t know your kid yet.
It protects them from a digital footprint they’re too young to manage alone.
Coaches search athletes before they scout, and certainly before they make an offer. Sponsors do the same. What they find matters.
A parent who helps curate that presence, posting highlight clips, sharing character moments, keeping the account active and appropriate, can help their athlete gain an advantage.
Where it goes wrong
The problem starts when the account stops being about the athlete and starts being about the parent.
Constant accolade posts. Recruiting update announcements before anything is official. Stat lines after every game. Subtle comparisons to other athletes.Over-produced graphics or flashy edits with hype music.
All of the above and anything else that signals one thing: a parent is trying too hard to get their kid noticed.
Coaches see it instantly.
The problem is it actually has the opposite effect. When a coach sees an account that feels like a PR campaign, they scroll past, shaking their head. Is this kid even driving their own story? What are the parents going to be like when things get hard? Are they going to be in my office every time their kid doesn’t start?
Parent behavior is part of the recruiting equation. Always has been. Coaches are not just evaluating athletes. They’re evaluating families. An account that screams “my parents are running this” can turn a serious recruit into a question mark before a single conversation happens.
Don’t be that parent.
The simple test
Before posting, stop and ask three questions:
Is this true?
Is this aligned with my kid?
Or is this for me?
Those questions sound simple. Most parents who post the wrong things would answer them honestly if they slowed down enough to ask. The problem is they don’t ask. They just post.
Experienced coaches and evaluators can tell the difference immediately.
And so can your kid.
What good looks like
Post the highlights. Share the moments that show who they are, not just what they did.
Let them caption their own content when they’re ready. Certainly let them read the captions you write and ensure they like them before you post.
Check in with them often about how they feel about what you’re posting.
They have a voice in this too. This is their account, not yours.
Your job is to protect them, guide them, and make sure the world sees them clearly.
And you don’t have to figure this out alone. If you’d like to discuss your specific athlete’s situation, reach out at [email protected].