Are mistakes REALLY okay?

Being a great athlete is hard, it requires athletes to try new things, and step out of their comfort zone, in a nutshell, to take:

a lot of risk

As our kids show up for practice, coaches ask them to change their technique, think about executing a play in a new way, and they ask them to CHANGE their approach or technique on a daily basis. We all know that change is hard!

To be successful, and to try new things, athletes that embody that learning mentality, or “Can- do” attitude are the ones that learn quicker, give more effort and fulfill their potential.

How do we coach kids to embody that “Can- do” attitude and to be open to taking risks on the playing field or court?

Mistakes need to be okay

Even if we as parents or coaches, say, “hey, don’t worry, mistakes are okay”, we have to not just talk the talk, but we also need to be willing to walk the walk. That means that when an athlete makes a mistake, and they look over at us for our reaction, we need to smile, give them a nod and remind them to let it go, so that they can refocus and think about their next play.

If they make a mistake, and we put our head in our hands or negatively shake our head, that doesn’t reinforce that mistakes are okay. Body language speaks volumes!

If coaches say that mistakes are okay, and after, players go into the locker room and get teased for missing a play, then the culture of the team is: Mistakes are NOT okay.

Coaches need to be trained to make sure their body language, tone and words are not reinforcing that mistakes are not okay, because if that is what it feels like to play on that team, athletes will fear failure and tighten up. They will begin to worry about ‘letting the team down” and they will get anxious when the ball comes their way and be more timid on the playing field, court or ice.

For any of us that have embarked on a journey to be great at something know,

The fear of failure is real

What actions can we take to show our kids that Mistakes REALLY are okay?

We, as parents and coaches can focus on the effort and not the outcome, as well as give them kudos when they are not successful.

We can also coach our athletes to focus on things that they can control:

·      How much effort they give

·      To be focused on learning and improvement, instead of just winning

·      If they come to practice/games/competitions with a positive attitude that is encouraging to others as well as themselves

·      If they stay after or arrive early to practice or add a training session to strengthen skills

·      If they plan ahead and use Imagery to prepare for game day challenges & rehearse their technique so that they show up feeling confident and prepared

We will all experience negative outcomes in our lives. The athletic experience can be a great training ground to learn and gain confidence from overcoming challenges:

“Hey, I can overcome challenges, because I've already done it on the field, court or ice”.

This is where resiliency is born

“Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” ― Gever Tulley

As a parent, wouldn’t you rather your child learns these valuable life lessons earlier than later?

For more strategies to improve outcomes for coaches, parents or athletes, and instill that "Can-do" attitude, please schedule a free Discovery call with Shannon here:

https://mentallytoughedge.com/#calendar-2h2Q77URil