Attacking Adversity
Teaching youth how to identify, handle, and overcome it
By John Engh
One of the great exercises that the National Alliance for Youth Sports offers in its Academy for Youth Sports Administrators is to make a list of all the reasons that sports are great for kids. We’ve done this with groups hundreds of times through the years, and the lists are nearly identical. Making friends, socialization, learning about working together, sportsmanship, handling winning and losing, developing confidence—the list goes on and on to show how the power of sport can be so beneficial to a child’s development.
Credit: NAYS
During this exercise, I often compare the importance of what a child gains from going to school to participation in sports. Obviously, there’s a big difference in an education curriculum versus playing a sport, but the intangible benefits are similar and very important.
Not Just Another Hurdle
One could argue that some of the most important lessons a child learns in school don’t come from math, language, and history classes. To the short list I noted above, I can add commitment, discipline, respect for others, and one of my favorites from school and sports—overcoming adversity.
I still have vivid memories of the sports I played and the challenges I faced. When I was 11 years old, I wanted to make the Little League all-star team in Munster, Ind. I can remember the exact spot where I was standing when I saw the list and realized I hadn’t made the team. I was crushed but determined to become a better player by the next season. Later that fall, I learned my family was moving to Florida, and while I was excited about warmer weather, I was mad that I wouldn’t have an opportunity to show the coaches that they had made a big mistake.
When I was coaching my own children, I used failure to motivate the players. When one of the players missed a ball in the field, or another didn’t score a goal in soccer on a great chance, or the team lost a close game—these were all great coaching opportunities. “We’ll get them next time” wasn’t just some meaningless catchphrase, but a powerful coaching tool.
© Can Stock Photo / 4774344sean
Strength In Mental Health
Coaches, parents, and youth leaders know adversity is part of every season, and every athlete’s experience. Be proactive when it appears, and help equip youngsters to fare better and move on more quickly. This is one of the key points of a new—and free program: Youth Sports and Mental Health online training. Anyone can access it and choose which sections are most appropriate. With expert insight of many respected sports psychologists from the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, Ohio State University, Temple University, the University of Miami, and the University of Kentucky, among others, the program is a great resource.
And a great opportunity to prepare kids so adversity doesn’t derail their seasons—or their fun.
As renowned mental-skills coach Darleen Santore, author of The Art of Bouncing Back, notes, “Something doesn’t have to go wrong in order for you to work on your mental skills. This is another muscle that we want to work on to get mentally stronger, and stronger doesn’t mean pushing emotions away. Stronger means knowing how to handle adversity, failure, obstacles, and struggles.”
John Engh is executive director of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) in West Palm Beach, Fla. He can be reached via email at jengh@nays.org. To join more than 3,000 communities by starting a NAYS Member Organization, visit www.nays.org, email nays@nays.org or call (800) 729-2057.