Well my favorite Season has come to an end for our Thunder Basketball teams!! But I’d like to wish Good luck to the Fairview Warrior Boys and the Plentywood Wildcat girls as they head off to State this week! Both phenomenal teams, we’ll be cheering you both on from home! Best of luck and have fun!
Thankfully for me, my son Owen is playing in a tournament or two over the next month so I can still get in a few more games. I absolutely love watching my kids play Basketball. And not just my kids but all kids!
I have been listening to a wonderful podcast called Raising Unstoppable girl athletes over the last month or so and have taken away so many great tips from it. But I have also got to see first hand just how important mindset is in a game.
Typically we think practice, practice and more practice is what makes you good. And although practice and conditioning is a huge part of growth in your sport, mindset is a HUGE factor as well!
Mindset is a word that can easily be misconstrued. Mindset takes work just like practice and conditioning do but when we combine the three of them amazing things can start to happen!
How can we as fans and parents help our athletes with mindset? Encouragement and positivity! They feed off of our energy! If we are stressed, yelling and mad that is not helping their mindset at all but if we are positive and encouraging it helps their mindset stay on the right track and makes a much more pleasant experience for all at the game.
Here are just a few tips to help keep them on the right track:
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Lead by example, Model positive attitudes and behaviors.
•Kids look to adults for guidance on how to behave. Whether it’s their coach, teacher or parent, how an adult reacts to a situation makes a powerful impression on a child. This is especially true when it comes to sports. It’s one thing to tell your kid that it’s just a game and to go have fun. But if you start yelling at the referee, umpire or official mid-game, your child will get a mixed message. It’s important to lead by example.
•If another parent, coach or child behaves poorly, take it as a teaching opportunity. Explain to your child a better way to handle it. Teach them how to respond when another player isn’t following the rules or is being too aggressive.
•And be mindful that with your behavior alone, you can encourage a lot of good things: integrity, respect, positivity and good sportsmanship.
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Help them manage their emotions.
• Kids frequently find themselves facing emotionally charged situations on the field, court or rink. Some negative mental states in sports are inevitable. Your child might be on the brink of making an exciting play, only to get squashed by the other team’s interference. Or, maybe another player will foul your child or hog the ball. Stress, frustration, anxiety and even jealousy can all be normal responses to different parts of a sports game.
•This means you’ll have opportunities to teach your child about handling anxiety and other negative emotions. After each game, talk through plays or situations that made them feel bad. You can help your athlete figure out why a player’s behavior frustrated them, for example, and brainstorm what to do if a player acts that way again.
•It’s also perfectly normal for you to feel these similar negative emotions watching your child play sports. Just make sure not to let those emotions lead to poor behavior, and don’t let your emotions put pressure on your child.
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Stay involved
•You can help your young athlete best if you’re involved and aware of what’s going on. Keep an open line of communication with your child. That way, you’ll stay on top of current goals and priorities, so you can help to keep them on track with them.
•Try to attend as many games as you can. Being on the sidelines is a clear show of support for your child – plus, you get to see them in action.
•Always ask questions after a game or practice, whether you were there or not. What did you learn? What are you going to work on? What went well and what didn’t? These kinds of questions will help your child process what they’re learning in a more meaningful way. The answers will be helpful to you if you’re practicing with them at home. And by asking questions, you’re showing them that you care.
•Finally, always look for opportunities to give your child positive feedback – not just for winning, but also for trying. Encourage strong performance and hard work. Your child is putting themselves out there and earned praise will encourage them to keep at it.
We as parents can really help with this mindset part which is a very key part in their success!
As one of my favorite shirts states, I hope both teams have fun!!