PositiveSports.net

Determination helps college basketball player overcome odds

 

Athletics, Perspective and Family

 

 

 

A true fighter makes it to the top of Kilimanjaro

 

 

 

A Quick Mental Script for Building Resilience

By Steve Horan, PositiveSports.net

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from a setback - ideally, even stronger than before.  Needless to say, resilience is a critical life skill in athletics and beyond. 

Some athletes struggle with resilience not because they are weak or uncommitted, but because they take their performance very seriously,  When they fall short, they feel badly, and this affects their future performance. We can help our athletes strengthen their resilience by teaching them a four-step mental script for putting mistakes in perspective and moving forward. 

• This is not catastrophic. If your athlete is feeling a serious loss of confidence or a sense of guilt about their performance, teach him that it is only a game, perfection is not an option, and no performance error is ever catastrophic in the overall context of life. 
• This is not pervasive.  If your athlete is feeling that 'all I do is make mistakes,' teach her that her mistakes are not as pervasive as she thinks, and back that up with a list of valuable contributions she brings to the team.
• This is not permanent.  If your athlete feels that his mistakes have put him in a permanent state of low performance, teach him him that mistakes and slumps are part of the game and they are not permanent.  Also assure him of your confidence and desire to see him bounce back.
• This is not defining.  If your athlete feels that her mistakes or low performance define her as a person, reassure her that she is valued as a person regardless of her athletic performance, and teach her that no athlete should ever define her personal worth in terms of her athletic performance.

Most importantly, teach your athletes to use this four-step script whenever they feel a loss of confidence or a sense of guilt over performance errors.  To make it easier, teach them the phrase 'this is not CPPD'  (catastrophic, pervasive, permanent, or defining) whenever they are struggling with performance. This mental script, backed with your affirmation and role modeling, will help them bounce back quicker and stronger, and become more resilient athletes and people.

 

  

 

Stressing: Understanding and Coping with Acute Stress in Adolescents Athletes

In this article published online by the United States Sports Academy, Ernest Meyers describes the sources of stress for adolescent athletes, how stress affects performance, and different approaches to helping adolescent athletes cope with stress. 

Click here to read the full article.

Ken Ravizza on what to do when adversity hits

In Part 2 of his series on Mental Skills Training, Dr. Ken Ravizza talks about what to do when adversity hits.  Use his advice to help your athletes develop 'something to go to' when they hit rough patches in sports - and in life! 

More DIY videos at 5min.com

Glass is Half-Full Thinking

Author: Lauer, Larry Ph D, CC AASP
Source: Association for Applied Sport Psychology

In this short article Larry Lauer reminds us of the power of positive thinking in sports and in life. He draws upon examples from the worlds of professional soccer and hockey to illustrate that attitude is key to the solution when our athletes are facing challenges.  He sums it up with three practical strategies to help our athletes stay positive. 

Click here to view full article at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology's website.