Champions understand the need to make mistakes. They understand that doing something wrong is the best way to learn how to do it right. By adjusting their approach the next time. Since they already know what doesn’t work, they keep experimenting until they find a way that does work.
Nobody likes to make mistakes.
Who wants to be the kid who struck out to end the game? Or the boy who dropped the ball in the end zone? Or the girl who missed the game-winning shot?
Nobody. Especially impressionable young athletes.
So they play tentative. They play not to make mistakes. And end up making even more mistakes. Because they aren’t playing with the mind of a champion.
Champions understand the need to make mistakes. They understand that doing something wrong is the best way to learn how to do it right. By adjusting their approach the next time. Since they already know what doesn’t work, they keep experimenting until they find a way that does work.
Let your athletes make mistakes. Encourage them to make mistakes. Doing so will rid them of the stigma that mistakes are bad. And free them to think like champions.
Once your athletes realize that mistakes serve a positive purpose, you must make sure they accept responsibility for them.
Avoiding responsibility for mistakes is a natural human inclination. And athletes seem to have a special knack for transferring responsibility to everyone but themselves:
“The umpire made a bad call.”
“The sun was in my eyes.”
“I hurt my ankle.”
“The other team cheated.”
“I wasn’t ready.”
And the list goes on and on.
The problem is this: these excuses weaken the very character of the athlete.
When mistakes are denied, the athlete learns nothing. So she makes the same mistakes again. And again. And again.
But the whole purpose of making mistakes is to learn.
Champions understand this. That’s why they accept their mistakes. Figure out what they did wrong. Then correct it.
And become better and better while ordinary athletes grow weaker and weaker.
Have you ever tried to make excuses for your athletes? The next time you’re tempted to do so, remember that champions accept responsibility for their mistakes, learn and move on.
Help your champion accept responsibility. Then show her how to improve and continue on the path to greatness.
The Mental Game
From football to ballet, the mental game is the most important aspect of any sport. Yet many parents and coaches of young athletes are so focused on producing winning results that they overlook the need to teach children how to think.
What is a Champion?
The athlete in me defines a champion as a person or team who wins. Who conquers the competition. Who is the best. At least that’s what I used to see. Until I made the transition from athlete to coach and from jogger to marathoner.
Do What You Dream
To do what you dream, you must have faith, courage and the willingness to take action despite what skeptics say, do or believe.
