Five Keys to Help Your Student-Athlete Realize Their Full Potential

Does your child play on several teams during the same season; have you enrolled your athlete in private lessons to further develop a specific skill; is your middle school or high school student-athlete struggling to keep up with schoolwork and chores because of numerous sports commitments; is your kid dominating in practice and lessons, but underperforming during games; is your student-athlete constantly checking out other kids’ stats, achievements, and college commitments on social media? Regardless of where you are in the sports cycle, if you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you are the parent of a modern-day student-athlete!

Today’s athletic environment is intense, overwhelming, and, at timesand depending on age and skill level – downright maddening, so why do we subject our kids, and ourselves, to any of it? Easy answer: participating in a sport is still one of the best ways to learn invaluable life lessons while having fun! Where else can you incorporate physical activity, teamwork, resiliency, communication, joy, commitment, leadership, and friendships, all at once? While other hobbies and activities provide an opportunity to develop some of these traits, competitive sports can hone all of them if our student-athletes have the right mindset.

Despite the absolute value and upside mentioned above, today’s version of competitive sports introduces additional challenges that – if left unmanaged – can crush even the most competitive and optimistic soul. These obstacles are not specific to competitive sports; they reflect the world we live in, and they present yet another opportunity to learn critical life lessons. With the right mindset and tools, we can empower our student-athletes to develop the confidence, vision, and grit to author their best lives. With that, I’ve listed below five (5) keys to help today’s student-athlete realize their full potential:

1

Control Your “Controllables”: We can only control our attitude, effort, preparation, and response to uncontrollable factors (coach, umpire, weather, parents, teammates, fans, injuries, teacher, assignments, etc.). This phrase reminds us to place our energy in the most impactful areas.

2

Take Time to Rest and Recharge: More is not always better. We must be intentional (for our kids and ourselves) and recognize the need for “downtime,” unscheduled time, and time without a screen.

Clarify Your WHY: The days are long, and the sacrifice to attend practices and games, meets, and matches are palpable for everyone in the family. Injuries occur, and disappointment surfaces, so our student-athletes must remember why they participate. Clarity about their intentions will sustain them during challenging times!

Narrow Your Focus (You vs. You): Constant comparison usually bodes poorly for adults and doesn’t help our kids. We can support them by reinforcing this message: compare yourself vs. who you were and what you accomplished in the previous game, match, or meet. Personal growth and contribution to your team trump everything else!

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Be Grateful: Perspective can be challenging at a young age. Still, we can help our kids shift their mindset and more consistently display an attitude of gratitude by helping them find a sport they enjoy and reinforcing the opportunity and privilege to participate (They GET to practice (vs. They HAVE to practice).

For more information on mindset training and life skills for your student-athlete, please contact me:

Tamara Siemon, Certified Mental Performance Coach (MPM), and owner of Elite Mindset Development, LLC

www.elitemindsetdevelopment.com

404-369-0429 elitemindsetdevelopment@gmail.com