Roger Federer Urges Parents Not To Push Their Kids In Sports

For Roger Federer, sports should be fun and not forced. While it is obviously normal for some successful parent athletes to feel the need to push their children to play the sports that they play, Federer has no intention to force his kids to play tennis just because it is the sport that he has played and has been successful with.

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, recently chatted with the 17-time Swiss Grand Slam champion in a BBC report. Amongst the things that Bercow was eager to know was Federer's expectations on his children - if they will get into the same sport that he is playing.

After spending 302 weeks at the top of the world rankings and winning 82 singles careers titles including 17 Grand Slam titles, Federer admitted that he is quite unsure if his kids would ever be able to play tennis in the same intensity as he does. Federer has two sets of twins. His twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva, were born in July 2009, while his twin boys, Leo and Lenny, were born in May 2014.

The Swiss tennis great has said that he isn't going to force his favourite sport to his children. "Honestly, I think it all depends on how things are going to be when we settle in Switzerland, and what sport they are going to take up," Federer said. "But I think for any kid, it's important for them to enjoy what they're doing, whatever sport that is."

Federer also gave credit to the support that he has received from his parents, which has helped him get to where he is at right now. According to Federer, his parents have been supportive of him and have also given him enough space to breathe. Federer revealed that his parents weren't always in attendance in all the tournaments and matches that he competes with.

The 33-year-old said that he doesn't mind being around his folks, but he also thinks it is cool that his parents don't come to see him play all the time. He said that it worked well for him because he certainly felt the pressure and at the same time he got the space that he needs. Federer was able to cope with expectations. He also hopes that every parent can do the same thing for their children's chosen sports.

It was announced in September that Federer, who finished the 2014 season was World number two, will kick off his campaign for the next season at the Pat Rafter Arena for the 2015 Brisbane International. In 2014, Federer finished as runner up to Lleyton Hewitt.

To reach the author of this article, email r.corpuz@ibtimes.com.au