Help Young Athletes Turn Criticism into Motivation

January 4, 2023
Posted in Featured
January 4, 2023 Cinch. HQ

Help Young Athletes Turn Criticism into Motivation

Some young athletes see the critique as a list of everything they do incorrectly. In these situations, they discount or disregard criticism. Other young athletes consider constructive criticism important and interpret it as guidance on raising their game.

Some young athletes see the critique as a list of everything they do incorrectly. In these situations, they discount or disregard criticism. Other young athletes consider constructive criticism important and interpret it as guidance on raising their game.

A crucial mental talent for athletes is the ability to accept and apply feedback. Kids who master this technique won’t feel assaulted when receiving critiques from coaches, and it will seem more like a recommendation for them to perform better.

But only some parents or coaches are adept at giving constructive criticism. Young athletes must therefore discern the message in the criticism.

Tips to Help Young Athletes Turn Motivation from Criticism

Youth coaches and parents devote much effort to considering how to frame feedback for children. We struggle between the need to educate and the wish to shield them from suffering. To make feedback more digestible, we dress it up in cute clothes, smooth off its sharp edges, and make feedback sandwiches with slices of harsh criticism between soft, warm compliments.

Everyone desires to feel competent and appreciated, and making someone feel valuable and skilled is the best approach to motivate them. This is especially crucial for young athletes who are still learning the tactics and techniques of a sport.

Young athletes can be inspired by highlighting their accomplishments, challenging them to improve, and imparting necessary skills. Coaches can employ the following techniques to create the optimum environment for converting criticism into motivation teaching them:

Not to Take Anything Personal

Teach your young athletes to open their minds and make rational decisions. The significant technique to make a rational decision is keeping their sensitivity away while playing a game. When they are less sensitive about other people’s comments, they can turn criticism counterproductive and futile.

Learning from Feedback

Your young athlete should consider every feedback essential and take action to improve. If someone tells your kid they are not good at dribbling the ball or scoring a goal; they should acknowledge the feedback and give their best the next time they play the game.

Recognizing Critical People

Although accepting feedback from other people is productive, sometimes you must understand that satisfying everyone is impossible. If your young athletes understand that, they could quickly identify the difference between motivating and criticizing feedback. If someone is sharing feedback to lower your child’s motivation, they should ignore it.

Embrace Failure

Explain to your young athlete that failure is a part of growing. When your child loses a game or a match, they will get opportunities to identify and overcome their weaknesses. 

Conclusion

We all receive positive and negative criticism, but how we respond to it decides whether we persevere and draw lessons from our mistakes or break down under the weight of our self-hatred and hopelessness. 

Receiving criticism is a talent that, like most skills, takes practice and openness to improvement. Most kids have a lot of practice, and Ironically, adults must assist children in making that practice effective by providing them with feedback on their handling of criticism. 

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If you are a youth sports organization, we at Cinch can help. Contact us today and speak to our team on how we can benefit your business.  Schedule your DEMO today!!

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