Is Winning The Only Standard For Success?
An athlete who becomes a member of a newly established team faces a unique challenge. The challenge is how to mentally prepare oneself to play on a team which may take some time, maybe several years, to develop and grow before it begins winning games or has a winning record. Whereas, more established teams, teams that have been competing for maybe three, five or ten years, will simply base their success on a win-loss record, athletes on a new team must use a different measuring stick or standard to define success if they want to feel a sense of empowerment and enjoyment.
Being part of a new team can be mentally and emotionally difficult. With so many athletes having a short attention span, and therefore are impatient with putting in the necessary physical and mental work to becoming better players and teammates, there is the real possibility that they will become easily frustrated, angry and depressed during the first and/or second year of a new team. Because they can only measure their success by their win-loss record, these athletes will begin doubting themselves, and could very easily give up on themselves and the team.
For athletes who are not in the right frame of mind, and are not mentally prepared to join a new team, every experience with the new team (including practices, scrimmages, games and even team meetings) will become mentally and emotionally draining. If they can only measure success by wins, and have no understanding or appreciation for the learning curve and all the small steps that team will take to grow and develop, these athletes may self-destruct and become unhealthy distractions to the overall welfare of the team. They need coaches who can show them that winning is not the only standard for success, and being part of a new team offers many rewards; including a great opportunity to become mentally stronger and smarter athletes.
If there is any group of athletes who need to make mental skills training a priority throughout every aspect of their season, it is definitely those with a newly established team. The team's coaching staff should develop a mental conditioning program that gives their players the necessary tools to play with greater concentration, composure and confidence as they learn how to become a more competitive team. The following are several components to that mental conditioning program.
First, the players need to understand the concept of control, and the difference between what they control and don't control. In a team-oriented sport, winning a game is not something that one player controls. There are so many factors that can contribute to the outcome of any game, including the coaches' decisions, performance of various players, calls by the refs and game-time injuries. The only thing that a player controls is himself: his attitude, thoughts and beliefs, as well as his behavior and choices that he makes at any given moment. By talking to the players about knowing and only focusing on what they control, they are learning how to take personal responsibility and ownership of themselves. So, instead of a player asking "Will we win today?", he is asking himself "What am I doing today to become a better player and teammate?"
Second, players must recognize that a newly established team will probably make a number of mistakes in practices and games; especially with players who may have no or limited experience in that sport. Instead of responding to each mistake as a sign that a player or the team is bad, unsuccessful or a failure, it's important to look at each mistake as a teaching moment or learning experience. A player should not mentally beat himself up with a negative judgement call about what just occurred but take a moment to ask "What did I see, what can I learn and how can this make me a better player?" If players become too worried about making mistakes, they may start pulling back and not take any risks to develop their skills. They become more concerned about looking good, with their current playing skills, instead of thinking about what they need to do to improve their game and focus on future playing skills.
Third, each player should identify his personal strengths and how he can use these strengths to help himself and the team. For one player, it may be his intensity and passion for the game. For another player, it could be his capacity to encourage and support his teammates. Then you have a player who is a quick learner and is able to share his knowledge with other players on the team. Not only should the coaches help players find and use their personal strengths but all the players should be recognized for having the personal integrity and strength that led to their decision to join and play with a newly established team.
Fourth, players need to set goals for themselves. They should be goals that are specific and can be measured. Whether it's about developing and improving one's athletic, physical or mental skills, each goal needs to have a timetable as well as identifying a series of steps that the player will take to reach that goal. You may have one short-term goal for a particular practice and one long-term goal for the season. Learning how to set and reach these goals can help a player stay focused in the present moment as well as remain positive and proactive as he moves forward in his sports career.
An athlete who becomes a member of a newly established team can find success on many different levels. From learning how to take personal responsibility and ownership of himself and focusing on what he controls, identifying his personal strengths and using them for a greater good, embracing every moment in sports as an opportunity to learn and grow as an athlete, and setting and reaching meaningful goals, this athlete has already found success. The athlete will find a great sense of empowerment and enjoyment, become a mentally and emotionally stronger athlete, and contribute to the long-term health and welfare of his team.
