By Mallory Mattingly
Former New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia takes the lessons he learned in the MLB and passes them on to his kids.
“My wife and I made sure they knew it’s not life or death, that they go out and just have a good time, and the pressure comes later,” he told Parents.
However, the dad of four — Carsten Charles III, 21, Jaden Arie, 19, Cyia, 16, and Carter, 14 — explained that his kids also need to understand how to have a healthy relationship with winning and losing.
Sabathia knows that balancing the two is important, especially when it comes to athletics. A 2024 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found that 70% of youth leave their sport by age 13 because the pressure causes them to burn out.
“You have to learn how to lose. It’s a game that’s based on failure. If you get a hit three out of 10 times, that’s great,” Sabathia said of Cyia and Carter playing baseball. “It’s just about managing expectations. The process of being the athlete, the process of getting ready for a game, is actually bigger than the result.”
Since his retirement in 2019, Sabathia has enjoyed his time off with his family, a major reason why he decided to step away from baseball.
“I play a lot of golf, get the chance to watch the Yankees with no stress, and just hang out with my family,” he said. “It’s good fun.”
“I got a chance to retire when my oldest son was a sophomore, so I got to watch him in high school. And now my youngest is 14, so he’s getting ready to go through his journey,” the soon-to-be Hall of Famer continued. “It was perfect timing to be able to be home and watch them in their journey with sports.”
“My oldest daughter is in college now, so her career is over, but my youngest daughter is still in high school, and they have a really good, competitive team,” he added. “I get into it. I really love it.”
In July, Sabathia will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“23 seasons from Vallejo to the big leagues, 3 teams, 4 kids, and many chapters along the way, I’m so proud to be alongside this journey with you, CC, now officially as a first ballot Hall of Famer!” CC’s wife, Amber, wrote in a post on Instagram. “You’re an incredible husband, son, father, teammate, friend and so much more for our family. You earned this every step of the way. We wouldn’t be here without the support of our loved ones who came to witness the call in person and all those leading up to this moment who supported his career.”
Sabathia played in the MLB for 19 years, kicking off his career with the Cleveland Indians before moving to the New York Yankees, where he would end his career in 2019. Since then, he’s relied on the lessons he learned along the way to instruct and guide his kids.
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +1