Are sports being valued to highly? Do we maybe take them a LITTLE too seriously?
Stick with me on this...we have helped now more than 50 college athletes get to and become successful at the next level. Many are on D1 scholarships...they are thriving, starting, and making an impact on the team. AND more importantly, most of them are part of the 10% of college athletes who are actually happy. This approach works.
If we stopped making sports bigger than they actually are...
Would we see an INCREASE in:
-Joy?
-Performance?
-Self Confidence?
And a DECREASE in:
-Injuries?
-Burnout?
Funny coming from a guy who runs a sports performance enhancement facility.
When I ask parents, athletes, and coaches, which is more important?
Doing the BEST you can and becoming the BEST PERSON you can be?
Or becoming the best ATHLETE you can be?
99.9% say the latter.
This is because intuitively, in our purest state of mind, we know and believe that sports are games, and they are simply a means to become a better version of ourselves.
In our hearts, we value the character development result of sports far more than the achievement outcomes.
Reminder: By 13 years old, 77% of athletes are done with sports. By 18, 97.3% are done. By 22 years old, 99.99% of all athletes are finished with high-level sports.
So then, why do athletes allow their confidence, their belief in themselves, and their self-worth to be dictated by their sports performance? Why do they treat sports like war? Why do sports parents, coaches, and athletes allow sports to bring out the worst in their character and actions at times?
We live in a culture and society where you constantly compare yourself, your kid, and/or your team to others. We live in a world that values the SPORT way too highly.
And it is costing us big time.
ACTION STEPS
Stop right now, and have a conversation with your athlete. Remind them that sports are NOT life! Life can become BETTER through sports, or worse if your perspective is off.
Remind them that whatever happens in their future games, showcases, competitions, is a stepping stone to helping them to become the best person they can be.
Once you do that, make sure you back it up with your words and actions.
And once you do that, write a few things down on paper and read them daily to remind yourself that sports are just sports, and commit to keeping them at a level of importance where they belong.
If you find yourself experiencing stress, anxiety, anger, or other negative emotions when it comes to your athlete and their sports, you are guilty of valuing sports too highly.
If you are the athlete, is the pressure you are putting on yourself an appropriate level for a game? Does it make sense? Or do you need to stop and re-evaluate?
Work hard to become the BEST you can be, athlete.
Be a leader. Be a great teammate. Be coachable.
Overcome your fears. Train everyday, practice your craft, but remember WHY you do these things.
You do not do them for others to see. You do not do them to earn 1st Team All-Conference.
You do not play sports to win a gold medal. Those things are the cherry on top. They are the nice bi-product you receive after you have done all you can to become the best you that you can be.
Keep going, keep growing.
Dedicated to your athlete's success,
Coach Andrew
