Sport statistics are a really big part of sports today, as nearly every sport has it’s own way of measuring a player’s on-field athletic abilities (Sport Success 360). Interestingly, sport statistics are now being collected and analyzed at youth and interscholastic levels, creating new pressures for young athletes that previously didn’t exist. Unlike the old days of sizing up players by only watching their on-field abilities, today’s young athletes are now regularly reminded of their status through various data providers, including traditional media like newspapers as well as new social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and chat rooms.
It is important for adults to talk to kids about sport statistics and remind them that while having great stats is a nice thing, it can also be a very temporary and misleading way for players to self-evaluate. In other words, a child may feel great today about his stats, but then go on to have a few bad games and all of a sudden end up devastated that his numbers have dropped as much as they have.
Sport statistics can also sometimes be misleading, as not all key variables are counted and measured. Sure, a batting average is easy enough to compute, but how do you measure mental toughness variables like motivation, focus, concentration, and resiliency? Ask any sport talent evaluator or scout about what the toughest thing is to measure and they will almost immediately tell you heart (or the passion and drive to be successful). Unfortunately, no box score in the world will ever be able to measure this vitally important aspect to sport success.
Sport statistics can also lead to self-fulfilling prophecies – for better or for worse. What this means is that some kids will “play up” their efforts because they have developed self-confidence from reading about their good statistics. On the other hand, many kids struggle with self-image and motivation to improve their athletic abilities when they only look at their stats when their numbers are low. Sport performance, therefore, can fluctuate dramatically based on beliefs.
Sport statistics will always be a part of sports, and more and more kids are tuning in to what their numbers reveal. Be sure to sit down with your child this season and make sure she knows that while stats can be helpful, they are by no means the only way to evaluate athletic talent.
Check out Sport Success 360, the resource for families involved in sports!
www.drstankovich.com
