How to Show Composure, Not Perfection in Tryouts
A sports parent says:
“My Bantam AAA hockey player is in the mist of tryouts and is having stumbling blocks in his tryouts over hitting and performing during the tryout games. He is just not performing at his best and is getting very stressed. We have been trying visualization, breathing techniques and playing in the moment. Any suggestions on how to help him?”
Tryouts are among the most stressful events your sports children will have to go through in their young careers.
As coaches take detailed notes and watch your sports kids’ every move, it is only natural for players to feel as if they are under a microscope, and that any mistake may doom them from making the team.
If your kids have any perfectionist tendencies, they will likely be exaggerated during tryouts, and under such scrutiny, your kids’ fear of failure is likely to flare up.
The increased attention can cause negative thoughts to run rampant, creating distractions from focusing on the process.
So what do you tell your sports children struggling with tryouts?
Tell them that tryouts are not actually about impressing the coaches by being perfect. They are about impressing the coaches by showing composure and playing your own game.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to stay composed when you are thinking like a perfectionist because one mistake will send the perfectionist into a spiral of doubt.
On the other hand, the composed player knows that mistakes happen and to minimize the effect of these errors by letting go of them quickly.
Coaches do not need to see perfection, and they do not expect it.
What they want to see is your sports kids’ intangibles; how they communicate with teammates, how smart they play, how composed they stay under pressure.
They want to see your sports children performing like a good teammates and communicating with confidence.
Mistakes will not prevent your kids from being selected, but their frustration or lack of composure to these mistakes may!
Remind your sports kids that composure, being a good teammate, and listening to the coach is much more important than having a perfect performance in tryouts.
Trying to be perfect is not a good goal for athletes.
Accepting that you can’t be perfect and showing composure after mistakes is a good goal.
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- Athletes Who Get Nervous During Tryouts
- Overcome Pre-Competition Nerves
- Helping Kids Overcome Confidence Busters
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