Enablers, Not Motivators: Missy Franklin on How Parents Can Support Without Pushing
“Enablers, not motivators.”
That’s how 5-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin describes her parents’ role in her journey to becoming one of the greatest swimmers of all time.
In an episode of the Youth Inc. Podcast, Missy shared an incredible perspective on accountability in youth sports with host Greg Olsen:
✨ Her parents never woke her up for practice — that was on her.
✨ But if she got up, they were all in:
🍳 Mom had breakfast ready.
🚗 Dad scraped ice off the car and drove her through the snow.
As Missy put it:
“It was my goal, but I had so much help and support.”
Missy Franklin
Such a powerful reminder for all of us parents: we don’t need to push our kids’ dreams — but when they choose to chase them, we can make sure they know they’re not chasing alone.
Read more about the episode with Missy Franklin here:
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