Category: Performance
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Growth Mindset in Youth Sports
Dr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford Psychology Professor and a top researcher on mindset, has championed praising the process rather than focusing on outcomes (Dweck, 2008). The “process over outcome” often gets misunderstood as focusing solely on the process rather than the outcome. This isn’t what Dr. Dweck’s research has shown (Haimovitz & Dweck, 2017). Instead,…
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Task vs Ego-Orientations
There’s only one spot on top of the podium. Every kid, coach, and parent wants to be there. Most won’t make it. Fortunately, as coaches and parents, you can choose what you reward. Balish et al. (2014) did a meta-analysis (a collective study of studies) on correlates (associations) of attrition (quitting the sport) in youth…
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Sport Parent Bias
“If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” If your only perspective is that of a parent, you will navigate your child’s sports experience with a parental bias. It’s not wrong. It just is what it is. Coaches, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in your child’s development all want the same…
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Self-Esteem vs Self-Confidence
We will talk about building confidence (and self-esteem) in your young athlete soon. For now, it helps to understand the difference between self-esteem and self-confidence. Self-Esteem is a general feeling about one’s self. Self-Confidence is a feeling about accomplishing a specific task. There is overlap between the two, but they are very different concepts. It’s…
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W.I.N. – What’s Important Now?
I will often utilize the mantra What’s Important Now or the acronym W.I.N. for mental performance skills training. I don’t need to tell you that your kiddos probably have a tough time prioritizing their thoughts and actions. Or they get hyper-focused on the wrong thing at the wrong time. HELLO!?! Either way, it’s probably frustrating to you and, to some extent,…