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 sports. Task-oriented climates had a significant negative impact on attrition. In other words, when building and developing skills was prioritized rather than winning, attrition was lower.
You can choose to focus on winning (ego-oriented), or you can choose to focus on building the skills (task-oriented) for long-term success.
Keep Being Awesome.
Reference
Balish, S. M., McLaren, C., Rainham, D., & Blanchard, C. (2014). Correlates of youth sport attrition: A review and future directions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 15(4), 429–439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2014.04.003
