Little League victories, Pee Wee hockey losses, high school soccer titles, and heartbreaking AAU basketball defeats. 

Any of these sound familiar to you?

The emotional roller coaster of youth sports teaches children lessons and values that span the spectrum; the joy of learning a new skill, the beauty of developing lifelong friendships, and the foundation of being part of something bigger than one’s self. 

Those are all incredibly important, yet one of the most valuable growth opportunities to come from youth sports is the ability to deal with outcomes…both good and bad. 

Youth sport teaches athletes to win with grace and lose with dignity; sportsmanship, something the world can always use more of. 

Yet dealing with outcomes is much more than showing sportsmanship; there’s an internal side that poses a critical question. 

How does your athlete learn and grow from all outcomes to reach their full potential as an athlete and human being? 

From the highs of pitching a perfect game or winning the state title to the lows of a heartbreaking loss or being cut from the team, every single result and outcome presents an opportunity for your child to grow. 

Perfection doesn’t exist in sport, and youth sports are no exception.  Yet through a strong growth mindset, your child can get the most out of their athletic experience and lead a healthier, more examined life. 

Growth Mindset? Sounds Simple

It sure might, yet living out a strong growth mindset is often easier said than done. 

Growth mindset measures an athlete’s ability to let go of mistakes and practice self-compassion when training and competing, seeing every success and setback as an occasion to get better. 

“Growth mindset is having the mentality that there is always something to learn,” Premier’s Dr. Adam Gallenberg says. “Successes and failures will always be there, so framing those outcomes as opportunities to learn is being growth-minded.”

Dealing with those no-so-great outcomes can be difficult, especially in big moments and pressure-packed situations.  That being said, your athlete’s response to experiences perceived as failures can serve as a gauge to measure growth mindset. 

Let’s use an example.  Bobby rushes a potential game-winning free throw late in the fourth quarter of his high school basketball game.  He misses and sends the game into overtime.  Instead of collecting his thoughts and moving on from the situation, Bobby goes into a flurry of negative self-talk and dwells on how he let his team down in a crucial moment. 

Instead of entering overtime with a fresh slate and positive approach, Bobby is hooked by a disappointment that should now be behind him.  

Individuals with a strong growth mindset find ways to take lessons from their mistakes and let them go.  Dwelling on previous mistakes removes an athlete from the present moment and the task at hand, two things that are essential to success. 

Bobby’s frustration is completely understandable; no one enjoys falling short in the clutch.  Yet failure always provides an opening for growth.  In Bobby’s case, taking an extra moment at the free throw line to collect his thoughts would have increased the likelihood of his success.  He’ll do that next time.  By framing his mistake as an opportunity to get better, Bobby will not only have an easier time moving on from the situation, there’s a good chance he’ll feel calmer, collected, and confident next time he’s faced with a pressure situation. 

Having the ability to reflect on mistakes is important, yet so is acknowledging that those mistakes don’t define your child as an athlete or their worth as a human being.  We all make mistakes, and it’s okay for your child to acknowledge the natural feelings that may arise as a result.  The true anchor of a strong growth mindset is the ability to move on from disappointments and not allow them to hook us.  We’re lifelong learners and even the most painful losses provide an opportunity for your child to grow and flip the page. 

Why Growth Mindset Matters…Especially for Children

Developing a mindset that allows for learning and growth is fruitful for people of all ages, but it is especially critical for children.

Childhood is a time in an individual’s life when they’re engaging in a variety of activities for the first time: school, sports, music, boy/girl scouts, you name it.  These are not only opportunities to learn new skills, but for children to connect learning to joy and improvement.

And while those ventures can be hit or miss, humans often find a lifelong love for learning new skills by broadening their horizons as children, something that former Olympic swimmer and Premier VP of Operations David Plummer believes is a core benefit of a growth mindset.

“The antithesis of a growth mindset is a closed mindset,” Plummer says. “If we’re closed, we’re closed off to learning.  We don’t think we can improve.” 

A child’s growth mindset not only allows for learning new skills, it encourages them to seek new opportunities and try new things. 

“With a growth mindset, not only are we open to the learning, but we’re seeking it out. We’re thinking, how do we get better? How to we find improvements along the way?” Plummer says. 

Externally, that could mean a youth tennis player dipping his/her toes into swimming lessons, or a dance class, because they’re curious to try something new.  Internally, it could mean this tennis player begins taking private lessons because they’re hungry to learn new ways to grow their game. 

In addition to developing a zest for trying new things, a strong growth mindset emphasizes to youth athletes that there’s always room for improvement…even after the race has been won. 

A former Minnesota High School Coach of the Year, Plummer recalls an interaction with a student-athlete who anchored a win in the 2 x 4 medley relay. 

“After they won, I said ‘What can we do to improve?’  He was confused.  ‘But we already won!’  ‘Yes,’ I told him.  ‘But you’re going to complete that race eight more times.’ No one has the perfect race, not even world record holders.  There’s always room for growth and improvement, even after victories.”

Recognizing that there’s always room for improvement is invaluable to one’s development, yet perhaps the most important asset of developing a growth mindset as a child is that it keeps youth in sport. 

So many kids quit sports because they feel as if they’re not good enough. Perhaps they’re ranked low compared to their teammates or have received the confidence-deflating feedback “you’re just not where you need to be” from a coach, trainer, or teammate. 

Those words don’t have to be true with a growth mindset. 

“As coaches and parents, we think we can predict success.  But there’s so much data out there that says we’re bad at predicting who’s going to go pro, or receive a D1 scholarship,” Plummer says.  “A growth mindset helps a kid get through hearing those tough words.  It prevents them from giving up.  If you believe that you can improve, learn, grow, and get better, that’s going to keep that kid in their sport.”

Confidence is everything in sport…and in life.  A growth mindset will not only help your child get through those difficult times on the field but will help foster a confidence that creates a fulfilling, learning-based lifestyle. 

How to Help Your Child Develop a Growth Mindset

Supporting your child as they develop a growth mindset is a fulfilling and rewarding experience, but also one that can be filled with many questions. 

Premier’s Dr. Erin Ayala has some tips to help parents and mentors become the best possible resource for their child’s growth mindset.

• DO normalize that mistakes will happen in sport and in everyday life, both for you and your child.  Instead of immediately jumping in after a mistake-ridden game to correct your child, ask growth-oriented questions such as “what do you think you did well?” or “is there anything that you would’ve done differently?”
• DON’T overreact to emotions following an intense game or training session.  While you may have a million things on your mind, jumping right in to provide feedback or analysis can cause athletes to shutdown.  It’s okay to give your child some space after a tough loss. 
• DO model self-compassion in your everyday life, even in the smallest of moments.  Instead of unleashing negative self-talk on yourself when you lose your keys, frame the mishap as a learning experience.  “Well that was quite an adventure, I know where I’ll put them next time.”  Believe it or not, your child will pick up on this and there’s a good chance they’ll incorporate the learning-based approached when they make mistakes.
• DON’T let negative thoughts dictate your child’s mindset (or your own).  We’re human; we all have negative thoughts at times.  Instead of trying to fight or change negative thoughts, acknowledge them and let them go.  It’s awfully tough to push a beachball underwater.  By setting it off to the side of the pool, you accomplish the same goal: you move it out of the way.  Respond to negative thoughts in the same way.  Don’t fight them; acknowledge them move them aside.  Use this analogy with your child.
• ALWAYS remind your child that their worth is not determined by results on the field.  While we cannot always control outcomes, we can control how how learn and grow from each one.

 

This article is part two of a five part series from Premier’s Research and Analytics division on unlocking personal performance potential.  Stay tuned for part three.  Read part 1 here.

To measure your own growth mindset and performance profile, try Premier’s Mindset Assessment.

Wins and losses. Game-winning three-pointers and clanks off the rim. Picturesque pick-sixes and blown coverages that part the Red Sea. 

Regardless of age, level, or skill, sport is a journey often determined by outcomes. The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between.

Some of those outcomes result in perceived greatness; Stefon Diggs’ miraculous catch to send the Vikings to the NFC Championship in 2018, Maya Moore’s incredible 2013 campaign that led to Finals MVP accolades and a WNBA title for the Lynx, and Kirby Puckett’s legendary walk-off homer in game six of the 1991 World Series just to name a few. 

Those are great..but many, if not most outcomes don’t lead to rings, trophies, and front page headlines. 

No athlete will ever be perfect, and that’s okay; imperfection is what makes sport unique, fascinating, and beautiful. Yet how we learn and grow from those imperfect moments creates a well for untapped potential for athletes of all skill levels. 

That untapped potential starts with a growth mindset. 

Growth Mindset?  Sounds Simple

It sure might, yet living out a strong growth mindset is often easier said than done. 

While we cannot control past outcomes in sport, we can control how we react and grow moving forward. A growth mindset is the ongoing perception that every experience, good or bad, presents an opportunity to learn and grow.

Think of it like a roadmap; you’ve probably completed a road trip from point A to point B without any construction, detours, or missed turns. At the same time, you’ve most likely engaged in one that featured head-scratching traffic, missed turns aplenty, and a light show of check engine lights. Positive or negative, good or bad, both trips allow space for reflection, learning, and most importantly, growth for future endeavors. 

Growth mindset measures an athlete’s ability to let go of mistakes and practice self-compassion when training and competing. True colors of one’s growth mindset are shown when outcomes arise, both good and bad. 

“Growth mindset is having the mentality that there is always something to learn,” Premier’s Dr. Adam Gallenberg says. “Outcomes (successes and failures) will always be there, so framing those outcomes as opportunities to learn is being growth-minded.”

Again, sounds simple. Yet dealing with those no-so-great outcomes can be really difficult…especially in big moments and pressure-packed situations. That being said, an athlete’s response to experiences perceived as failures on the court/field/rink can serve as a gauge to measure growth mindset. 

Let’s use an example; Bobby rushes a potential game-winning free throw late in the fourth quarter of his high school basketball game. He misses and sends the game into overtime.  Instead of collecting his thoughts and moving on from the situation, Bobby goes into a flurry of negative self-talk and dwells on ‘how he let his team down’ in a crucial moment as the team prepares for OT. 

Instead of entering overtime with a fresh slate and approach, Bobby continues to dwell on his missed shot, reciting to himself ‘we wouldn’t be here if I would have made my free throw.’ And while that may be true, dwelling on the past does no good for Bobby, his team, or Bobby’s chances of playing well in overtime. 

Individuals with a strong growth mindset find ways to take lessons from their mistakes and let them go.  They focus on what is within their control, and turn the page after unfortunate outcomes. Dwelling on previous mistakes keep an athlete from the present moment and the task at hand, two things that are essential to success. 

Bobby’s frustration is completely understandable; no one enjoys falling short in the clutch. Yet failure always provides an opening for growth– in Bobby’s case, taking an extra moment at the free throw line to collect his thoughts would have increased the likelihood of his success; he’ll do that next time. By framing his mistake as an opportunity to get better, Bobby will not only have an easier time moving on from the situation, there’s a good chance he’ll feel calmer, collected, and confident next time he’s faced with a pressure situation. 

Having the ability to reflect on mistakes to improve and grow on the field is important, yet so is acknowledging that those mistakes don’t define us as athletes or our worth as human beings. We all make mistakes, and it’s okay to acknowledge natural feelings that may arise as a result. Yet the true anchor of a strong growth mindset is the ability to move on from disappointing outcomes. We’re lifelong learners and even the most painful losses, silly errors, and botched plays provide an opportunity for us to grow and flip the page. 

Tips for Improving your Growth Mindset

Awareness is everything when it comes to a strong growth mindset. Being cognizant of one’s thoughts in various situations allows athletes to compete in the present moment and act accordingly when difficult outcomes arise.

“Developing a growth mindset starts with being aware of our thoughts in any given moment and being intentional with practicing this type of awareness,” Gallenberg says. 

Gallenberg even recommends setting random alarms on your phone throughout the day that pop up on your phone and asking yourself, “What’s on my mind in this moment?”

Little things can go a long way in untapping your best growth mindset. Here are a few tips that could help based on our research on athletic performance and overall wellness.

• Acknowledge ‘imperfect moments’ and try to reframe these imperfections as learning opportunities to search for ways of growth.
  • Ex: Instead of unleashing negative self-talk on yourself after a missed play, think of times that you’ve successfully completed that play and recognize that you have the confidence and capability to execute it successfully once again. 
• Swap out negative phrases such as “I can’t do this” and “I’m not good enough” for growth-oriented phrases such as “I’m going to overcome this” and “I’m improving a ton at this skill.” A strong growth mindset requires the ability to let go of negative thoughts and treat oneself with compassion, even when expectations aren’t met.
• Focus on things within your control and let go of things that are not. While you can’t control past results, how your opponent plays, or where you play in the lineup, you can control your attitude, effort, and approach to dealing with negative outcomes.
• Find mechanisms that work for you when it comes to moving on from mistakes. Some athletes will even use physical motions/mechanisms, such as ‘flushing the toilet’ with their thumb to remind them that it’s important to move on in the moment and reflect on how they can grow from their mistakes.
• Even in the most stressful situations and moments of the season, be sure to take care of yourself off the playing field. Prioritizing mental health during intense training is critical to a strong growth mindset.
• Chasing excellence is great, but expecting perfection can cause frustration. Athletes with a strong growth mindset do not expect perfection and are not afraid of failure.
• Rome wasn’t built in one day. A strong growth mindset emphasizes that growth is a process; Working towards achieving measurable short-term goals will set an athlete up for success in the long run. 
• Remember that mistakes will happen, some may even be out of your control. More importantly, always remember that mistakes do not define you as an athlete or human being. 

 

“Power Five: Growth Mindset” is part two of a five part series from Premier’s Research and Analytics division on unlocking personal performance potential.  Stay tuned for part three.  Read part 1 here.

Data-driven. Results-oriented.

It’s no secret that the Venn diagram of sport and life has an overlapping middle section filled to the brim with values, lessons, and experiences. The complex relationship between performance on the field and wellness outside of athletic endeavors has been explored by athletes and professionals long before the days of NILs, Gold Gloves, and Super Bowl titles even existed.

And while there have been many leads, advancements, and discoveries, the outcome has been simple (or anything but): far too much information; too much for an athlete to comprehend and translate to results on the field. An all-compassing smorgasbord of theories, ideas, and principles spanning the spectrum with no concrete areas or clusters of commonality or growth. A cluttered mess.

Think of it like the hit baseball film Moneyball. Prior to 2002, the concept of analytics was thought to ‘be the future of baseball,’ yet the application of the data remained unorganized, data-dense, and frankly, sloppy.

That changed when Billy Beane and the 2002 Oakland Athletics used sabermetrics to winnow the mess of measurables down to a single number that accurately projected a player’s on-field success.

The puzzle pieces found their home, results were produced, and the smorgasbord of uncertainly became an eloquent five-course meal.

The same concept has entered the world of sport psychology thanks to Dr. Erin Ayala and the Research and Analytics team at Premier Sport Psychology.

Through the creation of a strategic survey that reflected on data from over 900 athletes, Ayala and her team compiled five concrete categories that bridge Athletic Performance and Overall Wellbeing. With subjects ranging from high school athletes to Olympians and professionals, Ayala’s team consulted with industry leaders in mental health and performance and dug into the data to develop five characteristics that codify the complex relationship between athletic performance and everyday wellness.

“The one thing that’s really important that athletes need to know is that you can’t have sustainable performance without mental health,” Ayala said. “They go hand in hand.  You can’t have one without the other and that was the biggest reason for doing this.”

Success in sport is much more than just a box score, free throw, or game-winning goal; it’s a culmination of traits, lifestyle choices, and skills that create an environment where athletes can prepare for peak performance.

Not all of those skills take place on the court, field, or rink. Here’s a glimpse into the five clusters that act as the glue that seals success in both sport and life.

Growth Mindset

A common phrase tossed around in today’s society, the true measure of a growth mindset revolves around an athlete’s ability to set goals, limit negative self-talk, and demonstrate locked-in focus. Athletes with a strong growth mindset find ways to let mistakes go, practice self-compassion in competition, and limit outside distractions when the going gets tough.

Performance Mindset

Games are won in preparation, not on game day. Performance Mindset looks at psychological skills such as mental preparation for competition, goal-setting, and deliberate and intentional practice. Athletes of all levels are faced with internal and external pressure when competing and those with a strong performance mindset thrive in pressure situations thanks to laser focus and developed skills that help them perform freely.

Team Support

It takes a village. Team Support measures an athlete’s relationship and sense of connection with teammates and coaches. Those who have a strong score in Team Support feel as if they have a voice on their team and that their worth as a human and not just an athlete is appreciated by teammates and coaches.

Wins and losses don’t define people. Character does. Team Support measures how valued an athlete feels in their environment, regardless of how they perform that day.

Physical Wellness

Early to bed, early to rise. An athlete’s routine off the field in everyday life correlates directly to reliable performances on the field. Physical Wellness measures things such as sleep habits, nutrition and hydration, and precautionary measures to avoid injury. Athletes who score high in Physical Wellness make sure to live a balanced lifestyle that includes rest to avoid burnout.

Mental Wellness

It’s awfully tough to compete well when you don’t feel well. Mental Wellness measures an athlete’s ability to speak openly about struggles, self-reflect, and utilize professional mental health resources. More and more athletes have begun to speak out about mental health, and utilizing skills and resources when help is needed has become a cornerstone message in today’s society for both athletes and non-athletes.

Why it Matters

Think of these five clusters as a recipe, a blueprint for success in sport and everyday life. Even if an athlete is thriving in three or four of the five clusters, that missing ingredient or two could cause the athlete to struggle, even in a category that they’ve scored high in.

All athletes have areas of growth in sport or life, regardless of level. A high school soccer player could have an incredible foundation in team support but may struggle with physical wellness. An Olympic swimmer may have physical wellness locked down but could have a dire struggle with team support.

At the end of the day, these five clusters provide a baseline for how athletes can strive for success in all corners of life. The recipe requires a solid foundation in all five clusters, not just one or two.

The good news? Each cluster provides a path of improvement for not only athletes but coaches and parents as well. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we break down each of these categories, what it takes to improve, and how you can elevate your athletic performance while living a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Check out the full study here!