Self esteem and confidence are two traits that every athlete must possess in order to remain competitive and consistent on the field. Low self esteem and low self-confidence can make an athlete nervous, anxious, and/or depressed about his game. Encouragement, praising performance, and rewarding athletic achievements can boost an athlete's self esteem and confidence, not only on the field, but also in life.To encourage a young athlete, parents and coaches should use both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. Encouragement can come in the form of a spirited locker-room pep talk or a simple handshake and smile. Stern facial expressions and harsh language from the sidelines can make an athlete nervous and fearful of making a mistake. When an athlete is forced to focus entirely on his own performance, he or she can fail to pay attention to the game and the other athletes around them. When this occurs, an athlete may find that the more they're discouraged, the more they hesitate, leading to even more discouragement, and more hesitation.
To make your mind more fluid, you need to expose it periodically to new ideas and experiences. And one way to accomplish this is to reinvent your self image and how you see yourself. Try out different roles. Dare to think different thoughts. And things will change for you and you will become more confident,creative and successful as a result.Every big or small accomplishment starts first as a thought.A small seed can give birth to a tree that will eventually grow to hundreds of feet in height. The same principle applies to your thoughts. A tiny thought can be the starting point of a revolution of a big result in your life. Don't discount your thoughts. They can help you do magic. Monitor your thoughts and align your thoughts to what you want to achieve in life and the actions you take to achieve your goals.
Finally, an athlete should be encouraged to critique himself, instead of waiting for a coach or parent to do it. This will boost confidence and self esteem by teaching the athlete that they are ultimately responsible for their performance. If they aren't happy with the way they are performing, then they should do something proactive about it. Instead of directly telling the athlete how to improve, ask the athlete if there is anything about their performance that they would like to change, and then invite the athlete to offer suggestions for how those changes can be implemented. In this way, the athlete is taught that he or she is strong enough and smart enough to recognize his or her own faults and improve as necessary.Confidence and self esteem in young athletes can sometimes be a challenge to build and is often too easy to destroy. Those who interact with children on a regular basis must remember that a few words can go a long way in the mind of a child or teen. When discussing performance or ability with a young athlete, words should be chosen carefully, and improved performance should always be acknowledged, even if by only a few kind words.
Be careful about having too many assumptions. Assumptions can lead you astray. Assumptions are beliefs that you take for granted. This means that you don't question them and assume them to be true. People in general are pretty logical. They get into trouble when they assume certain wrong things to be true. Examine your more cherished beliefs and test them.The above ideas and principles will help you take control of your mind and direct your thoughts towards success. They require dedication, work, ambition and a lot of patience.I have posted an earlier article (7 self esteem boosters for children) which gives an outline of how the parent or the caregiver can help. Now I want to inform you on how to take action on the theory. I'll walk you though how I do it. You will be able to look over my shoulder and do the same.
These are generally father and son activities, but many of them can work equally well with daughters and mothers participating.This article will show you how to create and enjoy activities which help in building self esteem in children.How to plan to spend time with your children,How to choose and plan an activity to do together,Doing the chosen activity together,Joining a community,Letting the children fly.Holidays are perfect for spending time with the children. Often though, you have to plan to make this time. This is your choice. You and you alone are the one who controls your time. Time is not something you can save or bank for a later day. Time is your life, now! I'm extremely lucky as I work from home. Therefore, I can plan my own time. I sleep for 8 hours, work for 8 hours and that gives me 8 hours to play. I'm able to plan to spend 2 to 3 hours on each day of the holidays on activities aimed at building confidence in children. This is the first step; you must make the choice how much time you will spend with the children on the activity.
The cornerstone of building self-confidence requires accepting responsibility for ones unhappiness and problems. Only then, can they be changed. A survey showed that lottery winners eventually returned to their original state of well-being. Winning the lottery or finding Mr. Right provides only temporary euphoria. Ultimately, it's self-esteem and our thoughts and actions that determine our sense of well-being.The rub is that when self-esteem is low, it's painful to take responsibility. People rather make excuses and blame others, since they already feel so bad. This is really annoying to those around them and creates problems in relationships.Sandy- always procrastinated and turned in her work late with a myriad of excuses, annoying her boss. When she was reprimanded, she resented her boss, blaming him, while her self-loathing grew. By encouraging her to take responsibility for her behavior and exploring her fears and self-criticism that fed her procrastination, she was able to change her habits. She discovered self-empowerment and began to feel good about herself, and she won her boss's appreciation, as well.
If you decide upon an activity, where you have an interest or its something you have always wanted to do, then even better.We're located close to a beach here in Finland so we decided together to try windsurfing this summer. Our two boys are just beginning their teenage years and are good swimmers.What resources or support do you need to carry out the activity? For sand castle building you just need to find a couple of buckets and spades, and you are set to go. For vegetable plot creation there will be more materials to obtain: timber, soil, young plants, protective netting etc.For windsurfing, I needed to check the local beaches and find a windsurfing school who could provide lessons and rent equipment. So again there is planning to do before you can try the activity. Again you can do some internet research together. You will be surprised at how fast they can obtain the required information. Again, this is another activity promoting responsibility and greatly assists in building self esteem in children.
Let the action begin. Remember this is not a competition! The aim of the activity is to promote building self esteem in children. You want them to enjoy the activity. The more they enjoy the activity, the more they will practice. The more they practice the more they will shine. Once they excel then they really start to build high self esteem. You want to encourage them along the way. It is their effort to master the activity which must be praised, not the level they achieve. This is a hugely important point - it is the effort that is praised. This will program them that it is the effort that counts.If success comes early so be it, but the children will be programmed to keep at it until they succeed. Children truly appreciate it when parents and carers recognise their efforts rather than their results. As my 13 year old son said this week, "I'm really proud of my efforts to succeed at windsurfing. It takes a lot of practice and effort. Football is so easy; you just have to kick a ball!"
I've observed many times someone saying to themselves that they are going to start exercising and eating right, only to continue right on eating the same way and not attempt any physical movement. They are then discouraged and complain that they can't lose weight. You have seen this too. I have worked with students who say they are going to make better grades, study and do their homework. They do not follow through, do not improve their grades and then say they just can't do well in school. You have to put action behind your words or they don't mean anything.
To make your mind more fluid, you need to expose it periodically to new ideas and experiences. And one way to accomplish this is to reinvent your self image and how you see yourself. Try out different roles. Dare to think different thoughts. And things will change for you and you will become more confident,creative and successful as a result.Every big or small accomplishment starts first as a thought.A small seed can give birth to a tree that will eventually grow to hundreds of feet in height. The same principle applies to your thoughts. A tiny thought can be the starting point of a revolution of a big result in your life. Don't discount your thoughts. They can help you do magic. Monitor your thoughts and align your thoughts to what you want to achieve in life and the actions you take to achieve your goals.
Finally, an athlete should be encouraged to critique himself, instead of waiting for a coach or parent to do it. This will boost confidence and self esteem by teaching the athlete that they are ultimately responsible for their performance. If they aren't happy with the way they are performing, then they should do something proactive about it. Instead of directly telling the athlete how to improve, ask the athlete if there is anything about their performance that they would like to change, and then invite the athlete to offer suggestions for how those changes can be implemented. In this way, the athlete is taught that he or she is strong enough and smart enough to recognize his or her own faults and improve as necessary.Confidence and self esteem in young athletes can sometimes be a challenge to build and is often too easy to destroy. Those who interact with children on a regular basis must remember that a few words can go a long way in the mind of a child or teen. When discussing performance or ability with a young athlete, words should be chosen carefully, and improved performance should always be acknowledged, even if by only a few kind words.
Be careful about having too many assumptions. Assumptions can lead you astray. Assumptions are beliefs that you take for granted. This means that you don't question them and assume them to be true. People in general are pretty logical. They get into trouble when they assume certain wrong things to be true. Examine your more cherished beliefs and test them.The above ideas and principles will help you take control of your mind and direct your thoughts towards success. They require dedication, work, ambition and a lot of patience.I have posted an earlier article (7 self esteem boosters for children) which gives an outline of how the parent or the caregiver can help. Now I want to inform you on how to take action on the theory. I'll walk you though how I do it. You will be able to look over my shoulder and do the same.
These are generally father and son activities, but many of them can work equally well with daughters and mothers participating.This article will show you how to create and enjoy activities which help in building self esteem in children.How to plan to spend time with your children,How to choose and plan an activity to do together,Doing the chosen activity together,Joining a community,Letting the children fly.Holidays are perfect for spending time with the children. Often though, you have to plan to make this time. This is your choice. You and you alone are the one who controls your time. Time is not something you can save or bank for a later day. Time is your life, now! I'm extremely lucky as I work from home. Therefore, I can plan my own time. I sleep for 8 hours, work for 8 hours and that gives me 8 hours to play. I'm able to plan to spend 2 to 3 hours on each day of the holidays on activities aimed at building confidence in children. This is the first step; you must make the choice how much time you will spend with the children on the activity.
The cornerstone of building self-confidence requires accepting responsibility for ones unhappiness and problems. Only then, can they be changed. A survey showed that lottery winners eventually returned to their original state of well-being. Winning the lottery or finding Mr. Right provides only temporary euphoria. Ultimately, it's self-esteem and our thoughts and actions that determine our sense of well-being.The rub is that when self-esteem is low, it's painful to take responsibility. People rather make excuses and blame others, since they already feel so bad. This is really annoying to those around them and creates problems in relationships.Sandy- always procrastinated and turned in her work late with a myriad of excuses, annoying her boss. When she was reprimanded, she resented her boss, blaming him, while her self-loathing grew. By encouraging her to take responsibility for her behavior and exploring her fears and self-criticism that fed her procrastination, she was able to change her habits. She discovered self-empowerment and began to feel good about herself, and she won her boss's appreciation, as well.
If you decide upon an activity, where you have an interest or its something you have always wanted to do, then even better.We're located close to a beach here in Finland so we decided together to try windsurfing this summer. Our two boys are just beginning their teenage years and are good swimmers.What resources or support do you need to carry out the activity? For sand castle building you just need to find a couple of buckets and spades, and you are set to go. For vegetable plot creation there will be more materials to obtain: timber, soil, young plants, protective netting etc.For windsurfing, I needed to check the local beaches and find a windsurfing school who could provide lessons and rent equipment. So again there is planning to do before you can try the activity. Again you can do some internet research together. You will be surprised at how fast they can obtain the required information. Again, this is another activity promoting responsibility and greatly assists in building self esteem in children.
Let the action begin. Remember this is not a competition! The aim of the activity is to promote building self esteem in children. You want them to enjoy the activity. The more they enjoy the activity, the more they will practice. The more they practice the more they will shine. Once they excel then they really start to build high self esteem. You want to encourage them along the way. It is their effort to master the activity which must be praised, not the level they achieve. This is a hugely important point - it is the effort that is praised. This will program them that it is the effort that counts.If success comes early so be it, but the children will be programmed to keep at it until they succeed. Children truly appreciate it when parents and carers recognise their efforts rather than their results. As my 13 year old son said this week, "I'm really proud of my efforts to succeed at windsurfing. It takes a lot of practice and effort. Football is so easy; you just have to kick a ball!"
I've observed many times someone saying to themselves that they are going to start exercising and eating right, only to continue right on eating the same way and not attempt any physical movement. They are then discouraged and complain that they can't lose weight. You have seen this too. I have worked with students who say they are going to make better grades, study and do their homework. They do not follow through, do not improve their grades and then say they just can't do well in school. You have to put action behind your words or they don't mean anything.
