In this article, clinical psychologist Dr. Daniel Sheras provides suggestions to kids and teens to enhance their enjoyment of sports.
1. Surround yourself with positive teammates. When you're thinking of joining a team or finding a group of people to practice or train with, look for people with positive attitudes who have a similar level of commitment to the sport that you do. When members of a close-knit group support and challenge one another, it very often leads to better performance from you and your team as a whole. Good teammates will motivate you to do your best and will support you when you are struggling. Go Team!
Sport
2. Find the right fit. Not every athlete is great at everything. Different sports require different sets of skills. Try out several sports to see which ones are best for your specific set of physical skills. Peak performance is mostly likely to occur when your skills match the task in front of you. This match is even more important than your overall level of skill and effort. A bad match can lead to feelings of frustration and poor self-esteem. Therefore, an awareness of what you're good at and what you're not so good at will make sports more enjoyable.
3. Preparation leads to confidence. Being confident in your skills is important. But in order to gain confidence you must put yourself in a position to succeed by following a plan of preparation. Many athletes comfort in knowing that they have done everything in their power to succeed. This reduces feelings of doubt and performance anxiety, both of which can hurt your performance. If you know you can do something because you have prepared well, you will usually perform better on game day!
4. Find the right balance between excitement and relaxation. Athletes have been shown to perform at their best when they are neither too "amped-up" nor too calm. You will most likely perform at your best if you are somewhere in the middle. If you are too pumped up or anxious, try calming yourself down with some slow deep breaths, progressive muscle relaxation, positive self-talk or by imagining a calm place. If you need more energy, you can imagine an energizing or motivational scene, listen to motivational music, or move your body (i.e. jump up and down or pace).
5. Visualize Success. "Seeing is believing." If you can see yourself achieving goal, there is a better chance that you will make it happen. At least that's what research with athletes has suggested ---that "mental practicing" through visualization can actually improve performance. Visualization is simple: Just close your eyes, try and tune out distractions and imagine yourself touching the wall first in a race, sinking the winning free-throw, or scoring the winning touchdown or goal. Do this is as many times as you can both in the days and weeks leading up to the event and right before you are about to perform. This will also help you to calm down and focus.
Kids and Activities: Offering a "Good Hobby"
0 comments:
Post a Comment