How to Develop an Athlete for Sport’s Success

Following are “the teaches” to help athletes learn work ethic, know-how, and confidence to have the success they desire. It bears remembering that it’s who the teachers are themselves. When adults display the traits they want their players to have, players, develop them, too, leading to the desired win-win situation.

“The Teaches” to Help Your Child Succeed

Specific thoughts stick in my head when talking with the parents of athletes. This one comes to mind often because of how often I receive this question, “What does he/she need to do to get a college scholarship?”

 “If you need to ask, it won’t happen.”

That answer comes from a sports star who was asked, “How does one reach the pinnacle of sports like you?” Although it may sound like a “diss,” the reply is spot on. If one doesn’t understand it’s all about the practice and outworking the competition, the moment for reaching their potential and the success they desire has passed them by. Giving less than 100% won’t get them there. Is it that simple? Yes, and no. I would add that it’s not just the work; it’s the quality of the effort and practice - “Practice doesn’t make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect.”

Other Common Youth Coaching Issues

Similarly, of all the issues I hear from sports parents, these two top the list:

They won’t practice.

They lack confidence.

Their question, “How do we get him to practice more?” My reply serves as a wake-up call, I hope.  “The problem is they don’t know what to practice and are likely just reinforcing bad habits anyway.” I proceed to say that I think their willingness will change for the better once they know right from wrong actions and precisely what they are trying to accomplish with that practice. Without a defined goal for a workout, little advancement comes, and even less desire to want to do it. Knowledge is the key, which begins with knowing what’s right and measuring that in practice.

With the second question, the answer is precisely the same as for the last query – knowledge. Most athletes get frustrated and lose confidence because they don’t know the “How.” Once they know the correct way, which takes a while, they will feel like they have some control over the situation. That control eventually leads to adjustments, confidence, and greater self-control.  

Here's the thing – success is a mindset that coaches and parents can develop. It takes a unique perspective to reach the top, which begins with developing an approach that puts them on the road to advancement. It’s a step-by-step process that includes putting in the work, making mistakes, and adjusting to the errors with the knowledge their experience and coaching gave them.

 The Teach:

 Following are the traits coaches should display and other ways to get them across to young athletes:

·       Coachability. Players who are willing to try things in search of a better way are the ones who advance. “Their way or the highway players” leave a lot on the table and rarely have long careers.

To help young players become coachable, adults should suggest changes instead of demanding them. When players have options, they are much more agreeable to change, especially when they discover a better way. Coaches should also do the same by asking for player feedback and listening when given.

·       Patience. Impatient athletes rarely last for long because of the difficulty of perfecting skills. Success is always fleeting, and without patience, the games beat down desire.

To help, adults should help players with an ever-evolving plan and the understanding it’s not a sprint but a marathon to the end goal. Additionally, adults who display patience set an excellent example for players and buy players time until improvement arrives.

·        Optimism. Confidence comes and goes for even the best ballplayers. But those who persevere do so because they maintain an upbeat attitude of believing they will prevail in the end.

Adults must do their best to prevent a “defeatist attitude” in young athletes, beginning with never giving up on the player. Once an athlete believes they can’t, or sense their coaches think they can’t, the end of their desire to work may be near.  

·       Fearlessness.  Players must learn the mindset of not being afraid, which begins with adults accepting failure in games but with attention to detail in practice.  Many players want to disappear when things do not go according to their wishes, but coaches must help them use adversity to work harder. Once players are unafraid to fail because they know they can do something about it, they develop the resiliency to overcome.

·       Honest self-evaluation. Players must learn to analyze their play honestly, which cannot happen when adults praise player results even after poor play. It’s mandatory for coaches to praise effort but without saying how well an athlete did when they didn’t. In time, players will learn to analyze their actions and results productively.

Success is a mindset; when adults model that mentality, the higher the likelihood their kids will develop the same.

Coming Soon