Introduction

As mentioned in the previous inquiry post, this one is about challenges in sports. I will mainly be using information from the websites Project Play again, and Youth Sports Psychology. I will also be adding challenges that I faced, future issues with sports, and how to be better as educators in this topic.

Main Struggles Athletes Face

1. Struggling with doubts and negative thoughts about their performance. – Dwelling on performances is the easiest way to perceive things as an athlete. Regardless win or lose, there will be negative thoughts. It is at these critical points where educators, coaches, and leaders must have a connection with these players and try to make the thinking more “glass half full.” The brain is stronger than the body as it controls it. Mindfulness plays a huge role in every sport. Yogi Berra was a professional baseball catcher for 19 years. He has a famous quote that I love to hear. It is this, “Sports are 90% mental, and 10% physical.” A smart, skilled player will always win against a strong player. David vs. Goliath is another great example of this.
2. Having trouble letting go of mistakes and becoming easily frustrated or angry. – For some athletes, it is very hard to let go of small things and wanting to be perfect. For myself, I played baseball. A game where failing 7 out of 10 times would make you an all star. Being able to learn and teach that failure is ok is a difficult process as no one wants to accept failing. Some athletes never get taught or learn that it is ok to make mistakes. As educators and coaches, we need to be able to communicate this and help them reach the next step so the mistake made happens less frequently or not at all.
3. Worrying too much about what others (coach, parents, friends) think about their game – Wanting to please viewers is always going to be an issue. Some never receive praise from family or coaches and only want to not disappoint them. Timing of praise is crucial in developing new skills and good habits.
4. Performing tentatively or lack assertiveness against skilled players. – We have all heard the terms “Underdog” and “Favourite” when talking about teams. A phrase I always hear when watching sports is “I am cheering for this team because they are the underdog.” In the perspective of an athlete, being in the underdog position can be very challenging. You either play like theres nothing to lose, or your brain defeats before you even start the match. Your focus is gone, your mood is down, and your care is out the door.

It is very difficult to be able to get out these mental games by yourself. But in order to be a successful athlete you must be able to get out of these funks. As educators, it is important we instill self regulatory strategies in students, and the same goes for sports. Take the time at the start of the year/season and make that connection with students/players. Make the environment a safe haven where students/athletes can freely try new ways and ideas to be successful without the worry of judgement. Once we can establish this, it will become a quality learning environment.

For those of you who don’t know the David vs Goliath story… Here it is! The power of belief is strong. whether it is like this story, in religion, or if it is just belief in yourself. As mentioned before, the power of mindset is so strong that even a little bit of belief in yourself will turn into confidence and can help you overcome so many challenges.

Ways Parents/Coaches Negatively Effect Athletes Mentally

• Place high expectations on their kids.
• Focus too much on mistakes.
• Instill perfectionism.
• Make kids feel like they are not good enough when they perform.
• Can trigger lack of composure in their athletes.

For many people, a parent is their hero. They have the most influence on their kids and this makes it so children will do things to make them proud. If this is sports, and the parents do any of those listed things, there will be negative impact whether you realize it or not. Same thing with coaches.

How to Educate/Teach Strategies

The best way to teach is to make connections. That is what learning is. But this can be taken out of context by parents and coaches. While sharing your own story and own experiences, this can actually share issues you faced in your years, with them. It is a great idea to share but at the right moment and with the right context if it teaches them something rather than living out your own childhood dream in an athlete. Even though it is in your best interest to make them better, you may be negatively impacting their physical, mental, or their social skills. Educators are seen as positive adult role models and have the power to make or break the students experience. Let kids be kids by inviting play, giving praise where it is due, and build an environment where everyone feels wanted and respected.

What’s to Come:

I did not mention one of the main issues faced when talking about sports, and that is accessibility. I will create a post in week 6 explaining this more in depth. It is a very big challenge and I want to dive deeper into it and talk more about it.

Next Post

I will next be looking into which type of activities best help regulate stress and why. Thanks for reading this weeks post and I hope you enjoyed it!

– Carter White