“I am a parent. How do I help without making it worse?”

Start by saying less after games. Most kids already know they played bad. The car ride is not the time for a second coach. If every drive home becomes a review, your child starts dreading the ride more than the loss. Ask one question. "Do you want to talk about it or do you want space?" Then honor the answer. Later, when the emotion is lower, ask what they learned and what they want to work on next. Your job is not to remove every struggle. Your job is to stay safe enough that they tell you the truth.