THE GROWTH MINDSET

A Newsletter for Coaches

Date: March 4th, 2023 Vol:2 Issue: #50

50 Issues of the Growth Mindset!

I wasn't exactly sure my ultimate goals when I published issue #1 last January. I know that I wanted to help coaches win more games, find more satisfaction in coaching & improve their ability to teach mental performance skills.

That remains my goal but I have been surprised by how much I have benefitted from sitting down each week and writing. I have connected with coaches all over the world some of whom I consider friends. The process of writing has helped me formalize a lot of the systems that I use with my team.

Thanks for reading and reaching out! Let me know what you would like to see in the next 50 issues.

A formula to aid athletes recover from errors in competition.

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It was the second half of an early morning game on a Saturday morning.

Never the best setting for great high school basketball. I spent the halftime break pleading with my team to improve their focus in the 2nd half. My point guard had just checked into the game and we were inbounding under our own basket. The PG started excitedly and eagerly calling for the ball. I knew exactly what was going through his head. He didn't know what basket we were shooting on and he thought he was wide open under the opponents basket. Sure enough, he caught the ball and excitedly layed it in our basket. Not exactly the improved focus we were looking for. Fortunately, it was not a close game and we all had good laugh about it (for years).

JR Smith wasn't so lucky. His biggest mistake was on the biggest stage possible, the NBA Finals. I'm also pretty sure he still doesn't see the humour in that one.

Athletes (& coaches for the matter) are all going to make mistakes in the heat of competition. The magnitude of the mistake will vary based on the stakes of the game and how each individual athlete processes the error.

A formula that I love to use with my athletes (E)vent + (R)esponse = (O)utcome.

This has been used by many over the years from Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame to Performance Coaches Tim & Brian Kight.

This formula can be a powerful tool for athletes in both sport and in their day to day lives. The events that occur in our lives are usually outside our control. Our response to the event is 100% within our control and together they will dictate the outcome.

So from a big picture standpoint, everyone has the power to shape how events in their lives impact them. What a powerful tool!

A practical example from sport, JR Smith makes the error in game 1 of the 2018 finals and doesn't score when he has the chance because he believed that Cavaliers are up one, when in reality the game was tied. The response is that Lebron punches a wall after the OT loss and hurts/ breaks his hand. The outcome? The Warriors win in a sweep. I'm not sure that any response was going to change the outcome of the series but it would have been a far more competitive series.

If young athletes can start to build new neural pathways when applying this formula in sport settings, they will find that they will automatically start to choose how they respond to events away from sport.

It took me a really long time to understand that my response to events that I don't control shapes the outcome. I wish I would have started practicing it decades ago.

To help athletes, explain this formula and find some examples from your season, mainstream sport or life to illustrate it.

Coaches need to provide their athletes with opportunities to experiment using this formula in practice settings. This means calling attention to opportunities to practice overcoming obstacles. With enough practice your athletes will start to use this formula on their own.

Recover, Reset or Reboot- Three tools to over come mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes but what separates great athletes and teams from the rest is the ability to move on from that mistake and get back to playing with their head and feet in the same place.

The mistake has happened, how can they move on and get to the 'Next Play'.

The nature of each sport will dictate the type of routine they will need to build to allow them to recover.

Golf has long breaks between each shot allowing for ample time to use a routine to reset from a bad shot as well as building the use of imagery to prepare for the next shot. It also allows for plenty of time to dwell on the last shot and catastrophize on the outcome (I have no idea what this feels like.)

In basketball there are times during the game where the action stops. Free throws, deadballs or timeouts are where athletes have the opportunity to reset.

In some sports there is no opportunity to reset. A poor start in the 100m can derail even the best in the world. A missed jump in figure skating. Missed choreography in synchro or dance. These athletes need to focus on recovering from the error and moving on to salvage the best result they can and not allowing one error derail the whole competition.

Whether your athletes need a to recover,reset or reboot there are routines to allow them to get them back on track to performing their best.

Recover- During action

In most cases this has to be done very quickly on the fly. It involves an athlete using a cue word to help them move on from an error. For a sprinter this would need to be done very quickly. In an invasion sport like basketball or soccer the athlete has a bit more time to process the error and move on. Cues like "next play", "be strong" or a technical cue can be used to help improve performance.

Reset -During a stop in action

This routine takes place during a stop in the game, free throws, out of bounds or a time out. The goal of the reset is to ac

Athlete starts by taking a deep cleansing breath.

Step 2:

Have athlete acknowledge to themselves that things have not gone as planned, they should have a physical cue that allows them to physically move on from the mistake. Wiping hands on their shorts, for example. Aaron Judge picks up some dirt and runs it through is hands after he misses on a pitch that he feels he should have hit.

Step 3:

Have the athlete create and use a cue word that will help them move on from the mistake. It could be as simple as "Next Play" or something that has meaning to them.

Step 4:

Finish the routine with another cleansing breath and return to play

Reboot- During a longer stoppage or after a sub

In the same way when our apps aren't working a Reboot is reserved for those moments when nothing seems to be working. The sport the athlete is playing really impacts this routine. In a sport where substitutions are permitted like basketball or hockey a player can ask for a sub and conduct this routine. In sports like Rugby or Soccer where subs are limited, an athlete can use half-time to reboot and get ready to play.

Step 1:

Take a few deep cleansing breaths using the box breathing technique. Allow the physical symptoms of being over stimulated to subside.

Step 2:

Have the athlete acknowledge that things have not gone according to plan

Step 3:

Use a physical sign (like the athlete wiping their hands) to signify that they are moving on from these errors and rebooting.

Step 4:

Have the athlete take a cleansing breath and use imagery to envision what it will looks like when they get back into action and things start to go the way the athlete wants.

Step 5:

Athlete should finish with their cue word and a deep breath by which time they should be ready to return to play.

There is no sure fire way to help athletes recover from mistakes but creating routines that allow them to acknowledge and address what has happened are a great starting point.

The Ultimate list of Coaching Podcast grows.

It is now 90 hours of awesomeness & continuing to grow weekly.

Please send my any podcast episodes you think I'm missing.

Figuring out the best way to provide feedback to your athletes.

I recently listened to an episode of finding mastery with Texas Rangers bench coach Donnie Eker. Eker talked about how he has conversations with his athletes about how they want him to deliver feedback during the season.

To be honest this is not something I have ever done. I have instead relied on my own assessment of what seems to work best to increase the athlete's motivation. The podcast got me thinking and led me down a worm hole as I researched this idea.

I found a study published in the Journal of Sport Sciences that athlete-centered coaching, which involves tailoring feedback to individual needs and preferences, led to greater athlete satisfaction and engagement in training.

A further study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that athletes who received feedback that was congruent with their personal goals showed greater motivation and effort in training compared to athletes who received feedback that was not inline with their goals.

So according to the research their seems to be real value in getting athletes input on how they want to receive feedback. Reasons highlighted by the research include:

1. Individual Differences: Athletes have different personalities, learning styles, and levels of experience. Therefore, what works for one athlete may not work for another. By asking athletes what kind of feedback they want, coaches can tailor their feedback to meet individual needs.
2. Increased Engagement: When athletes feel that their opinions are valued and their needs are being met, they are more likely to be engaged in the learning process. By involving athletes in the feedback process, coaches can increase their engagement and motivation.
3. Empowerment: When athletes are given a say in the type of feedback they receive, they feel more empowered and in control of their learning. This can lead to increased confidence, self-awareness, and accountability.
4. More Effective Feedback: By asking athletes what kind of feedback they want, coaches can provide feedback that is more meaningful and effective. This can lead to better performance and faster improvement.

Eker sees it as part of the process of building relationships and getting to know our players and I agree with him on this point. It does show your athletes that you are interested in knowing what is best for them which is a great way to build trust.

One question I have on this. Does this remain constant for athletes?

I know personally the type of feedback I need varies depending on the situation, my emotional state & performance.

There is no question in my mind that feedback is vitally important and I believe that knowing how your athletes want feedback is a piece of that puzzle that is easy to find out.

Feedback is a big part of the art of coaching and the more we understand about it the more effective the messages we give our athletes will be.

So this is a question I will start to ask my players but I am also smart enough to know that it will be fluid.

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