As a result of this incident, the two players were not allowed to participate in any sport for the remainder of the school year, coach Breed eventually resigned but offered no apology or explanation , and the head coach, Gary Gutierrez, was placed on probation for two years.
Loyalty, by definition, means being faithful to an obligation, but we need to determine if the cause or person is worthwhile. While being loyal may lead to positive outcomes, it could also mean following corrupt leadership from a coach, a parent, or a teammate. USA Gymnastics has experienced far too much bad press recently. Many retired female gymnasts have discussed the great pressure placed on them by their national coach to lose weight and keep fat weight off.
At 14 or 15 years old — major developmental years — depriving calories can lead to a number of health and growth issues. Too often, athletes see sport as an opportunity to sacrifice their bodies for the betterment of the team, as well as to gain favor with a coach. Just as with loyalty, though, sacrificing self can be for a bad cause — it has to be weighed against the development of the whole person.
As a professor of exercise science at a Division II school, I interact daily with serious athletes. In college tennis, there are no chair umpire and line judges like at the professional level; the athletes, in fact, self-govern. So, when Player A hits the ball to the opposite court near the sideline or baseline, Player B makes the call on whether the ball is in or out. Kids cannot become future leaders without seeing what their own skills are and developing them through hard work and practice.
And seeing their fellow teammates doing the same can inspire them to become more motivated to reach the top. Client Empowerment. How Youth Sports Build Character. January 22, Written by Kasey McKenney. Volunteerism Being a good leader may require doing volunteer work to get started in life. Developing Friendly Competition To become an effective leader, the future generation has to realize competition is at every turn. Providing Discipline A student is going to learn quickly that in order to succeed at a sport, they need discipline and self-understanding.
Kasey McKenney. Don't forget to share this post! Share on facebook. Doing a handstand or throwing a fastball do not develop these traits. Only coaches and parents who intentionally focus on them will develop moral character in their athletes.
And sadly, this intentional character development has gone missing in many youth sporting environments. As part of their InSideOut Initiative, former NFL star Joe Ehrmann and former coach and athletic director Jody Redman are engaging with schools and encouraging coaches to put the development of moral character on equal footing with performance character.
Research has shown that elite level athletes often score higher in qualities such as ruthlessness and callousness. Yet in school and youth sports, this is a problem. Ehrmann and Redman, with the financial support of the NFL, are on a crusade around the country to shift this paradigm. They are convinced that education-based athletics is about connecting kids to caring adults and that coaches are supposed to build relationships that focus on social-emotional development, with winning as a byproduct.
We have social contracts in this country. I think for a long time there was one for sports where sports was going to be a tool to help guide and nurture boys and girls into adulthood. I think that contract is broken. Redman agrees. Some of us may be lucky enough to coach in a truly athlete-centered, education-based organization. Even then, we will face parents and community members who are willing to compromise a lot of moral development in order to win. Focus: Sport teaches you to focus on the present.
Past is irrelevant, and future, who knows? Process and result: Sport teaches you that the process is more important than the result. If the process is right, success will soon ensue. According to Basketball Coach John Wooden:. Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.
Planning: Sport teaches you to plan ahead, see through the consequences of your act. You need to quickly assess the situation, adjust, adapt and act accordingly. Being flexible and not carry a fixed mindset.
Earnestness and sincerity: Sport teaches you not to take any situation lightly or display casualness, and that every situation should be handled with earnestness and sincerity.
Observation and analysis: Sports improves your observatory powers and analytical skills. This section includes important aspects of psychology in sports which I shall present as points:. Positive attitude: It is often said a game is won or lost in the locker room before the start of the match. Having a positive attitude goes a long way in determining the eventual outcome of the game between closely matched participants.
Respect for the opponent is necessary but do not let this overwhelm you. Respecting their abilities, giving your best always, and no casualness in approach even when comfortably placed. Remember on a given day anything and everything is possible. Never give up attitude: As mentioned in section above, however hopeless the situation may seem, success is just around the corner. No match is won till the last ball is bowled.
Play to your strength, give it your best, enjoy the game, you have nothing to lose. Loss is not the end, there is no shame, disrespect, humiliation, provided you have given your best. Fear of losing will increase your anxiety and cause distress and hence leading to poor performance and undesirable results. One develops management skills, negotiation skills, communication skills, convincing skills, conflict management and confidence.
Sports in psychology and life helps develop team spirit, leadership skills, fairplay, never give up attitude and focus.
It is a great leveller, helps us know our strengths and abilities, understand process and result, the value of planning, earnestness and sincerity, observation and analysis.
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