Top 10 Life Lessons Sports Teaches Our Kids
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In 2013, as sports parents and coaches, in the midst of all the winning and losing, frustrations and exultations on the field or court let's remember the BIG picture: the great and enduring life lessons sports teaches our kids!
Here are my "Top 10:"
1. Teamwork - Teamwork requires cooperation and putting your athlete second behind the collective good and goals of the team. This includes supporting their teammates even when he or she is having a tough game.
2. Determination and Perseverance - In your athlete's game he or she will need to learn to overcome adversity through sheer determination and perseverance some days. Never give up and never give in no matter what the score or what the count!
3. Patience - With perseverance comes patience; patience for teammates and their attitudes and personalities, patience for their parents who too quickly judge their performance; patience for themselves...recognizing that mastery of this game is a journey that some days requires taking one step back to go two steps forward tomorrow.
4. Hard Work - Your athlete's game requires them to get dirty, to make the investment necessary week in and week out to become an elite player. It requires pain and sacrifice of getting up early and home late. To be the best they can be requires a phenomenal work ethic.
5. Accomplishment - Nothing is more fulfilling for your athlete than the feeling he or she gets after a job well done. Sports allows athletes to work hard and then see the results of their efforts. Priceless!
6. Self-Reliance and Personal Responsibility - In the big picture of life self-reliance means he or she will be able to motivate themselves to get the job done, whatever it is. Getting to practice and games on time, completing practice drills effectively and taking responsibility for their equipment, etc. are all fabulous life lessons.
7. Taking Direction - Sports teaches your athlete to take direction from his or her coaches in both learning the proper way to play the game, but also picking up the signs during the games. Succeeding at this game also requires they be a good listener to as to minimize mental mistakes.
8. Concentration - Playing sports allows your athlete to cultivate his or her power of concentration, particularly in high stress situations.
9. Detachment - Detachment is necessary for your athlete to learn as an effective means of letting go of past mistakes and being able to focus on the task at hand with present moment awareness.
10. Goal Setting - Of course one of the greatest life lessons sports teaches your athlete is the importance of setting both personal and team goals to strive for. Perfection may never to achieved, but the striving to get there is the lesson that lasts a lifetime.
The result of participating in youth sports is enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence; self-reliance; fitness and friendships plus a lifetime of great memories of good times and tough ones. As adults, for many of us, our youth sports experiences have shaped the people we are today.
Remember, thoughts are things...so choose them wisely!
I invite you to forward this email to a friend who also might find this information valuable for their athlete!
Thanks for reading!
John Michael Kelly
Softball Smarts
John Michael Kelly Sports
softballsmarts101@gmail.com
For more kid friendly mental performance tips:
Winner's Edge Kids
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