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 / Learn this Simple Tip for Maximizing Athletic Potential

Learn this Simple Tip for Maximizing Athletic Potential

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Apr 06, 2017

No Comments

 

Maximizing athletic potential

Athletes are always looking to improve their abilities, and often this process is accelerated when parents, coaches, and other supporters offer consistent, emphatic, positive praise for efforts, not just results.  In fact, shaping is a term used in psychology that describes the process in which positive reinforcement is provided whenever people exert effort and become increasingly more proficient at a task.  For example, if you are a parent of a baseball pitcher trying to master his curve ball, you could use shaping (positive reinforcement) every time your son or daughter throws a breaking ball that comes close to the strike zone.  For the pitches your child misses, simply throw the ball back (no need for criticism) and prepare for the next pitch.  Again, if he or she throws another curve close to being a strike, offer reinforcement!  Notice, that when using shaping there is no punishment or harsh criticism, but instead only positive reinforcement for the successive approximations toward the target.

We can dramatically accelerate the learning curve for just about any skill when we are in an environment where there is clear instruction, a positive atmosphere, and people around us who encourage and support our efforts to improve.  Keep in mind that by reinforcing effort it does not mean going crazy over every play, regardless of whether the athlete was successful, but instead using rapport-building through gentle encouragement that “spikes” with enthusiasm when advances in skill are witnessed.

Final thoughts

Attitude plays a big part in the ways in which we learn, implement, and maximize the skills we learn in life.  When we feel good and that others support our efforts, we play with better focus and improved confidence; conversely, when we feel like the only thing that matters are results, we tend to freeze up trying to play perfectly.  Learning environments really do matter, as the culture that surrounds us will either enhance (or diminish) potential growth opportunities.

What advice do you have for athletes trying to play their best?  if you are a coach or parent, what are the best ways to build trust and rapport with the kids you coach/parent?

www.drstankovich.com

enhancement, mental, performance, psychology, sport, toughness

  • 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

  • May 17, 2022 Many Kids are Struggling with their Mental Health Right Now — Here’s How We Can Help
  • May 16, 2022 Legal Sports Gambling is Everywhere Today, But is this a Good Thing?
  • May 13, 2022 Resiliency and Successful Stress Coping are Key to Optimal Mental Health
  • May 10, 2022 Encourage Student Athletes to Ask for Help if they are Feeling Overwhelmed by Stress
  • May 5, 2022 Taking a Critical Examination of the ADHD Diagnosis

PREVIOUS POST

Learn How to Immediately Relax Before Big Pressure Games

NEXT POST

Tips for Deciding How Many Sports Your Child Should Play this Summer

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Coaching , Mental Toughness , Performance Enhancement , Prep , Pro and College Sports , Sport Psychology , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Uncategorized , Youth and Interscholastic Sports

Tags

enhancement, mental, performance, psychology, sport, toughness

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Many Kids are Struggling with their Mental Health Right Now -- Here's How We Can Help
  • Legal Sports Gambling is Everywhere Today, But is this a Good Thing?
  • Resiliency and Successful Stress Coping are Key to Optimal Mental Health
  • Encourage Student Athletes to Ask for Help if they are Feeling Overwhelmed by Stress
  • Taking a Critical Examination of the ADHD Diagnosis
  • Overcome the Fear of Failure, Improve Mental Toughness, & Experience Success
  • 4 Important Team Building Tips to Help Coaches Succeed
  • Travel League or Recreation? How Parents Can Make (or Break) the Youth Sport Experience
  • Learn the Latest Research to See if Sport Specialization is Right for You
  • How Much Impact Does a Coach Have on Sports Team Success?
  • 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™

↓ ↓