So sorry to hear that. It breaks my heart when parents crush their child's spirit. I've had similar experiences in terms of disinterest in what I wanted to do/ achieve.

Often parents are more concerned about how a child reflects on them in the eyes of others than the overall development and growth of that child. In my view if a child learns the dedication and hard work it takes to succeed in sport, they can can take that work ethic into all aspects of their life.

On the flip side, if a child is mediocre at academia and he/ she learns to accept that being average at what you do day-in-day out, it's easy to see how a child can turn out average as an adult.

If only people could see that it is not just what you do but how well you do it!