getting a youth athlete "In The Zone"
October 17, 2014 7:58 AM Subscribe
How do you best motivate and encourage a youth athlete? How do you help focus a youth Athlete to get "in the zone" for an important try-out?
I coach a U13 (under 13yrs old) girl's competitive soccer team. Over the last few seasons, our team has really come on strong, and is one of the best teams in our age group in Florida.
Our best player, our center fullback, has been invited to try-out for the United States Olympic Development Program in Florida. This girl comes from a family that is not particularly focused on playing soccer. Her school work and her grades are much more important. Even if she makes the team, because of financial and travel requirements, she may not be able to join it.
She is, however, very excited about the opportunity to try-out. She desperately wants to make the team, regardless of whether she is able to join it or not. This is a girl who works hard to be the best at everything she does.
Try-outs are tomorrow morning.
I know that I have trained her over the last few years, and have helped to develop her natural ability. But, I also know that my motivational speeches are not very good. Usually, before a game, I just tell the girls to do what we have been working on in practice. I just keep it light and tell them to go have fun.
My poor motivational speeches are not going to cut it tomorrow morning. She is nervous. She will be alone. She will not have her friends and team-mates with her. The other girls at the try-outs will all be top players.
When I register her at the try-outs tomorrow morning, I really want to be able to say something that will help her focus, and get her into the best frame of mind. But, I honestly do not know what to say. How do I get her "in the zone"?
I know you are not her sports psychologist. I know that things are different for every athlete. But there must be some universal things that can be said that will help motivate her, to get her focused to kick butt tomorrow morning.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Anyone with knowledge of ODP Soccer try-outs, any tips and hints to get noticed would be welcome too.
Thanks.
I coach a U13 (under 13yrs old) girl's competitive soccer team. Over the last few seasons, our team has really come on strong, and is one of the best teams in our age group in Florida.
Our best player, our center fullback, has been invited to try-out for the United States Olympic Development Program in Florida. This girl comes from a family that is not particularly focused on playing soccer. Her school work and her grades are much more important. Even if she makes the team, because of financial and travel requirements, she may not be able to join it.
She is, however, very excited about the opportunity to try-out. She desperately wants to make the team, regardless of whether she is able to join it or not. This is a girl who works hard to be the best at everything she does.
Try-outs are tomorrow morning.
I know that I have trained her over the last few years, and have helped to develop her natural ability. But, I also know that my motivational speeches are not very good. Usually, before a game, I just tell the girls to do what we have been working on in practice. I just keep it light and tell them to go have fun.
My poor motivational speeches are not going to cut it tomorrow morning. She is nervous. She will be alone. She will not have her friends and team-mates with her. The other girls at the try-outs will all be top players.
When I register her at the try-outs tomorrow morning, I really want to be able to say something that will help her focus, and get her into the best frame of mind. But, I honestly do not know what to say. How do I get her "in the zone"?
I know you are not her sports psychologist. I know that things are different for every athlete. But there must be some universal things that can be said that will help motivate her, to get her focused to kick butt tomorrow morning.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Anyone with knowledge of ODP Soccer try-outs, any tips and hints to get noticed would be welcome too.
Thanks.
I second the above. Tell her to enjoy the hell out of a rare opportunity to play with the best of the best. If keeping it light and having fun got her to this point doing anything different now would be a huge mistake.
posted by COD at 8:18 AM on October 17, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by COD at 8:18 AM on October 17, 2014 [2 favorites]
I would not change it up from what you usually say. She is used to and comfortable with that. She will already be in a new environment, and you staying your strong, steady self will give her a sense of security and help her play the great game she usually does. Any change might give her more anxiety.
posted by Vaike at 8:25 AM on October 17, 2014
posted by Vaike at 8:25 AM on October 17, 2014
Best answer: This is a girl who works hard to be the best at everything she does...She is nervous. She will be alone. She will not have her friends and team-mates with her. The other girls at the try-outs will all be top players.
When I register her at the try-outs tomorrow morning, I really want to be able to say something that will help her focus, and get her into the best frame of mind.
She's about 11 or 12, right? I stand by my advice to tell her to have fun and emphasize that it's great fun to play with and even against other players who are at your skill level, and that she should enjoy herself.
But also, if you think, knowing her personality, that she will hear it and be able to use it and not freak out, I would tell her:
1) It's okay to make mistakes. This isn't a playoff game; it's a practice. First of all, everyone makes mistakes, even Olympians. Second of all, if she focuses on "being the best," she will play tight and cautious. Practice is where it's important and good to make mistakes. Third of all, it's very likely that she'll be asked to do things that are above her skill level. She won't be able to do them. THAT IS OKAY. The coaches are very sophisticated analysts of soccer and know how to evaluate her potential, even as she is making mistakes. Her focus should be on executing the skills she has confidently and recovering quickly and calmly after mistakes.
You'll know if she has the game-sense to execute this next part; don't use it if she can't: Rather than trying to get a whole new skill, she can try to achieve one portion of what they're asking in an unfamiliar drill. If she's able to break a drill down and understand, "Okay, they're judging my foot speed, my field awareness, and my ability to turn against a defender," she should then choose, "I'm going to try to improve my field awareness in this drill by remembering to look for a pass." If she's not at that level yet, don't tell her any of that.
2) The coaches are not looking for the best player, or even necessarily the best third. They are looking for athletic potential, coachability, and to fill needs at the next several levels of the program. For instance, the best player on the field might be a goalie- but maybe there are 10 solid goalies in the pipeline already. That player might not get her chance. The best thing your player can do is show her game as it is now and let the coaches do their job. Her job is to show her skills as they are after all of her hard work over the last several years. That's it.
All that said, I would personally keep it very simple and brief: "I'm so proud of the hard work you've done over the past few years. I feel honored to be your coach. This is a special moment in your life, a chance to show your skills at a high level. I know you can be successful today because you've been successful in the past. Remember how you kept your head at [important moment]? You've shown your character in the past, and it's a great credit to you. Today, I want you to remember that the coaches know what they're doing, and they don't need you to show off. You'll make some mistakes out there, and that's okay. Your only job today is to show the coaches your game as it is right now, today. This is a rare opportunity to play with talented peers in a practice with coaches who will give you fun drills designed to draw out your talent. It's going to be FUN, and I want you to enjoy it."
posted by Snarl Furillo at 8:48 AM on October 17, 2014 [7 favorites]
When I register her at the try-outs tomorrow morning, I really want to be able to say something that will help her focus, and get her into the best frame of mind.
She's about 11 or 12, right? I stand by my advice to tell her to have fun and emphasize that it's great fun to play with and even against other players who are at your skill level, and that she should enjoy herself.
But also, if you think, knowing her personality, that she will hear it and be able to use it and not freak out, I would tell her:
1) It's okay to make mistakes. This isn't a playoff game; it's a practice. First of all, everyone makes mistakes, even Olympians. Second of all, if she focuses on "being the best," she will play tight and cautious. Practice is where it's important and good to make mistakes. Third of all, it's very likely that she'll be asked to do things that are above her skill level. She won't be able to do them. THAT IS OKAY. The coaches are very sophisticated analysts of soccer and know how to evaluate her potential, even as she is making mistakes. Her focus should be on executing the skills she has confidently and recovering quickly and calmly after mistakes.
You'll know if she has the game-sense to execute this next part; don't use it if she can't: Rather than trying to get a whole new skill, she can try to achieve one portion of what they're asking in an unfamiliar drill. If she's able to break a drill down and understand, "Okay, they're judging my foot speed, my field awareness, and my ability to turn against a defender," she should then choose, "I'm going to try to improve my field awareness in this drill by remembering to look for a pass." If she's not at that level yet, don't tell her any of that.
2) The coaches are not looking for the best player, or even necessarily the best third. They are looking for athletic potential, coachability, and to fill needs at the next several levels of the program. For instance, the best player on the field might be a goalie- but maybe there are 10 solid goalies in the pipeline already. That player might not get her chance. The best thing your player can do is show her game as it is now and let the coaches do their job. Her job is to show her skills as they are after all of her hard work over the last several years. That's it.
All that said, I would personally keep it very simple and brief: "I'm so proud of the hard work you've done over the past few years. I feel honored to be your coach. This is a special moment in your life, a chance to show your skills at a high level. I know you can be successful today because you've been successful in the past. Remember how you kept your head at [important moment]? You've shown your character in the past, and it's a great credit to you. Today, I want you to remember that the coaches know what they're doing, and they don't need you to show off. You'll make some mistakes out there, and that's okay. Your only job today is to show the coaches your game as it is right now, today. This is a rare opportunity to play with talented peers in a practice with coaches who will give you fun drills designed to draw out your talent. It's going to be FUN, and I want you to enjoy it."
posted by Snarl Furillo at 8:48 AM on October 17, 2014 [7 favorites]
If she enjoys music, I suggest that create a couple of playlists specifically for the event. An inspirational one, a 'get revved up' one, an 'I get knocked down, but I get up again' one, etc.
Music can be a huge mood boosting/mood re-setting mechanism in athletics; so if she finds herself feeling overwhelmed or discouraged or unfocused she can just click on the appropriate playlist and get her head back in the game!
It will also be a fantastic way of recalling the great memories that she'll make during the event, too. No matter what the outcome, anytime she hears "those songs", she'll remember this amazing time in her life.
posted by skye.dancer at 9:27 AM on October 17, 2014
Music can be a huge mood boosting/mood re-setting mechanism in athletics; so if she finds herself feeling overwhelmed or discouraged or unfocused she can just click on the appropriate playlist and get her head back in the game!
It will also be a fantastic way of recalling the great memories that she'll make during the event, too. No matter what the outcome, anytime she hears "those songs", she'll remember this amazing time in her life.
posted by skye.dancer at 9:27 AM on October 17, 2014
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posted by Snarl Furillo at 8:11 AM on October 17, 2014 [8 favorites]