Celebrating small wins. It can be really easy for your young athlete to become overwhelmed with the massive workloads they have to undertake each week. With constant study, tests and homework to complete on top of all their sport training, the light at the end of the tunnel can begin to dampen and the grind can start to feel endless.
This is where it's really important as parents, coaches or mentors that you are celebrating and recognising the wins each week. Whether it be as small as completing some homework on time, or playing a good game on the weekend, having a positive attitude and actually recognising the good efforts rather than letting them be, can really boost your athlete's confidence.
The negatives are often the areas highlighted, and a large emphasis is always placed on improving their weaknesses. However, their strengths are their strengths, and these have to be equally if not more highlighted as these qualities are going to get them to where they want to go.
Imagine if you were the one attending practice and only focussing on your weaknesses. How would you feel? You're going to make a lot more mistakes than if you focus on your strengths. Your confidence will be eroded! You don't want your young athlete to leave the session with less confidence than they came in with. That's what happens when they've been exposed to mistake after mistake followed by all the critiques.
As a coach, structuring your training focussing 70% on strengths and 30% on improving the weaknesses. This will result in your athlete leaving training and going into games with a lot more confidence.
To become elite in any field, you need to have exceptional skills that surpass the majority of all other competitors in that field. Of course, I'm not advocating that you don't work on your weaknesses, you can't be elite with gaping holes in your skill set. You get a larger return on investment when you wor on the skills you already have, in other words honing in on your strengths.
Focussing more on the skills your athlete is already proficient in will eliminate another stress that they have to deal within your week. Training becomes less of a stress and more of an opportunity to unwind and enjoy being physically active to break up the high demands of school.
Coaches must encourage and recognise the good efforts the athlete is bringing to training, emphasising their strengths, and encouraging them to recognise the positive things they are doing. The more often this is done, the young athlete will perform better.
Inner Athlete are Youth Fitness Specialists. For more information how we can help support your young athletes' performance, contact us today.
Matt Hucul
Junior Strength Coach
Inner Athlete (AUS)
#youthathletes #youngathletes #teenathletes
