In this series I’m going to look at the importance of the mental game for athletes of different ages: through grade 8, high school athletes, and the athlete in college. Let’s start with the younger set.
Athletics may seem simple at younger ages.
Run fast.
Work hard.
Enjoy the experience.
However, one of the first relationships that young athletes develop with the concept of the mental game, is the way they think about:
Their success
Their failures
Their self-confidence
Their sense of belonging
Additionally, as we see more often than not, especially for young girls developing the mental game, there are other aspects of the mental game they develop such as:
How much room they feel entitled to take up on the playing field.
The First Mental Opponent
At this age, the mental game is not the pressure to perform well.
Rather, it is to figure out:
Is it okay to feel confident?
As young athletes hear or receive messages such as:
“Be humble,”
“Do not be bossy,”
“Take turns,”
“Give everyone a chance,”
Cooperation is a positive quality.
However, when young athletes’ confidence is lessened too early, something very subtle begins to happen:
Young athletes begin to shrink from themselves before they even realize what is happening to them.
What Sports Are Actually Teaching
From 5th through 8th grade, the most important mental skill an athlete needs to learn is:
To try without apology.
Examples of trying without apology include:
Taking the shot
Calling for the ball
Speaking up
Leading the play
Showing enthusiasm and celebration after a successful event
There is rarely a case where a young athlete hesitates to try because of lack of athletic ability; rather they hesitate because of fear of not belonging.
A question they ask themselves is:
If I am a standout in this sport, will my friends still want to be around me?
A Life Skill in Disguise
When young athletes learn how to compete wholeheartedly, they learn:
You can be successful
and
Still belong
This lesson will be relevant for young athletes in many areas of their lives, including school activities, friendships, creative endeavors, and future roles in which they will lead.
What the Mental Game Looks Like at This Age
Success = Courage to Try
Success does not mean you have to be perfect.
Success does not mean you have to dominate your opponents.
Success simply means:
I am going to come into the game feeling completely involved and still be accepted.
That is the first gold medal.