Not every child is going to be a professional athlete, but intense pressure can definitely backfire, preventing them from enjoying themselves, or causing them to drop out of sports entirely. From his work with children and families, Ellsworth explains how parents see their children in relation to sports, and the kind of support the athlete receives as they pursue their sport has a large influence on self-esteem development. Ellsworth says, “As much as 40 to 50 percent of the challenges that he sees with middle school and high school athletes, and sometimes even college athletes, has a lot to do with the pressure they feel from others. When athletes are young, everyone, including parents, need to be part of a support team that is focused on creating positive and enjoyable experiences. An athlete’s support team should be driven by a common set of principles and values focused on guiding the athlete in the direction they want to go. That is the purpose of working on a vision statement with someone like a mental game coach. Such vision building involves helping the athlete to see clearly his goals for the season or distant future, and how to get there. Everyone wants to win, but from a support team perspective everyone needs to understand the athlete’s desires and work together to help them achieve their goals and enjoy the process. "I find that it is extremely important for an athlete and his support team to have an idea of what it is they are trying to accomplish. What is the vision the athlete sees for themselves and not what the parents want for the athlete? It's not just about wanting to be a better baseball player, a better football player, or a better tennis player. It's more about the helping to lay out an overall vision of where they want to be a year or two years from now," John Ellsworth.
07 WORLDCLASSMAGAZINES.COM I APRIL 2016