Confidence – The Secret Ingredient
Young athletes develop confidence one step at a time and it is often overlooked as a key ingredient for a child’s success and enjoyment of sports.
Confidence is often the difference between an athlete looking forward to a competition and dreading it. Confidence is often the difference between a child wanting to go to practice and wanting to quit. Confidence is the difference between and athlete being able to handle an adverse situation and one crumbling at the first sign of difficulty. And confidence is often hard to put your finger on, too.
If we as coaches or parents ask them to take on more than they can handle or put them in a training situation they are not yet ready for, we are not helping build that confidence.
On the other hand, if we make sure young athletes are placed in situations where they are able to learn, be challenged (but not overwhelmed), and be successful you might just be surprised that the athlete climbs an entire staircase of confidence steps when you least expect it!
1 Comments
January 26th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
I am with you 100% – confidence is a must.
I am the an owner and founder of Game On! Sports Camp 4 Girls, started four years ago with passion and the commitment to give back to girls’ sports in return for the incredible benefits I derived over so many years. I am determined to give all that I have to expose and encourage so that young girls develop an appreciation for sports and fitness to last a lifetime. And the key to fulfilling this mission is instilling confidence.
On the most basic level, girls can not enjoy participation in sports without confidence. And that comes through learning the fundamentals. So we work with hundreds of girls each year to expose and/or enhance development in most sports in an environment that combines fun with learning and earned reward.
Moreover, we partner with a number of sports organizations and have convinced them to begin their girls’ sports programs at a much younger age. Our experience has proven (consistent with logic) that the younger you can empower with the fundamentals, the more likely the participant is able to grow as an athlete and a person.
Game On! is all about supporting sports opportunities for young girls so they can build that confidence. Thanks for your blog.