Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Innoculate Against Sport Failure – Sports Leadership for Success

Innoculate Against Sport Failure – Sports Leadership for Success

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Feb 21, 2011

No Comments

As we finish up the winter sport season and thousands of kids nationwide prepare for sectional, district, and state interscholastic competition, it is important for parents and coaches to help prepare kids for the potential “off day” they may experience as their mental toughness decreases while their level of anxiety increases (Mind of Steel).

While people don’t usually like to think about “what ifs” when it comes to sports (some even feel its taboo to do so), it is actually a worthwhile endeavor, ironically.  In other words, student athletes may actually benefit by having a conversation with you (the parent or coach) about the reality of facing elite-level competition, and how it is possible to fail along this pursuit.  This is not a pessimistic message, but instead a responsible one.

When kids are not prepared for failure, it can come as quite a shock and result in depression, anxiety, anger, and even unhealthy coping responses including drug and alcohol usage.  It is for this reason that it is imperative to talk to kids about the realities of sport competition, and how on any given day it is possible to lose or perform below expectations.  In some sports, like swimming and gymnastics, a student athlete may actually score the best time of the season and still end up at the back of the pack because of the surrounding talent he or she is competing against at the state level.  If you have a student athlete in your family, or you are a youth sport coach, try using the following role modeling strategies to help “pad the fall” for kids who may not perform as well as they had hoped as they move up the competition ladder:

  • It is important that you help kids see their own personal growth and improved success over the course of a season. What this means is that while they may not win at the state level of competition, they may still improve on scores and times and even hit their personal best — this should not go unnoticed!
  • Frame losing in its proper context. Losing is a part of life and should not be viewed as anything more than an opportunity to learn and grow from in the future.  Every athlete will lose, and it’s not the loss that does anything but instead what the athlete does with the loss.
  • Maintain open communication. Encourage kids to talk about the nerves they are experiencing and try to normalize their experience.  In fact, you may even want to talk about your own previous experiences with nerves and how you overcame personal anxiety
  • Inoculate by using imagery. Help kids “see” in their minds what their competition with look like, what the venue will be like, and even what it might feel like to have to work back from adversity (assuming they have a tough early match and lose).  The better kids prepare for a sporting event, the less anxious they will be when the day finally arrives.
  • Teach positive coping skills. You can expect that kids will have trouble coping with loss and adversity, so be sure to teach them positive sports leadership skills to cope with their stressors.  Just about anything can be using as a coping mechanism so long as it safe and healthy.

www.drstankovich.com

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ac9PPNtKuQ[/youtube]

anxiety, Coaching, mental toughness, psychology, sport, Stress

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • June 29, 2022 Don’t Discount the Value of Fun, Unstructured Play for Kids Mental Health
  • June 20, 2022 Sports Parents & Coaches Can Use Youth Sports as a Mental Health Boost for Kids
  • June 15, 2022 Show Kids How Much You Care Before You Teach Them What You Know
  • June 14, 2022 Study Finds Team Sports May be Best for Kids & their Mental Health
  • June 8, 2022 Accepting that Life is Difficult is a Healthy 1st Step Toward Life Success

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

Girls versus Boys in Youth Sports – Sports Leadership for Success

NEXT POST

Competitive Balance and the Impact on Sport Success

Category

Athletic Counseling , Athletic Director , Boys Sports , Camps Clinics and Clubs , Communicating with Coach , Evaluating Talent , Girls Sports , Parent Training , Performance Enhancement , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sports Leadership , Team Building , Team Chemistry , Team Cohesion , Training and Development , Youth and Interscholastic Sports

Tags

anxiety, Coaching, mental toughness, psychology, sport, Stress

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Don't Discount the Value of Fun, Unstructured Play for Kids Mental Health
  • Sports Parents & Coaches Can Use Youth Sports as a Mental Health Boost for Kids
  • Show Kids How Much You Care Before You Teach Them What You Know
  • Study Finds Team Sports May be Best for Kids & their Mental Health
  • Accepting that Life is Difficult is a Healthy 1st Step Toward Life Success
  • Overcome the Fear of Failure, Improve Mental Toughness, & Experience Success
  • How Much Impact Does a Coach Have on Sports Team Success?
  • Avoid the Dangers of "Whataboutism" for Better Relationships & Improved Mental Health
  • Help Kids Maximize Youth Sports by Using Athletic Transferable Skills
  • Why it's Important to Properly Invest in Mental Health Support for Athletes
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2022 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓