What Sports Kids Can Learn From The US Open
What can sports kids learn from the US Open semifinal Upset?
Kids can learn a lot from underdog Roberta Vinci’s surprise win over Serena Williams during the US Open’s semifinals…
Serena Williams is viewed as the best tennis player in the world. And Vinci is viewed as an underdog.
So how did Vinci manage to beat Williams in the semi-finals of the US Open?
First of all, Vinci went into the match with no expectations about winning. That means she wasn’t intimidated by Williams. She wasn’t setting her sights so high that she’d disappoint herself.
She was just going for it. After the match, Vinci said she was just focusing on playing well.
“The lessons for parents and kids is it doesn’t matter how great the opponent is; if you focus on your own strengths, anything can happen,” says mental game expert Dr. Patrick Cohn in a recent Ultimate Sports Parent Radio podcast discussion about the William-Vinci upset.
“You want kids to have confidence in their skills and belief in their abilities, but not expectations.”
When athletes have high expectations, they judge themselves.
Often, expectations can cause athletes to get frustrated, and play tight and defensively because they don’t want to disappoint others.
Young athletes, in particular, can take on others’ expectations—especially their parents’–and don’t want to disappoint them.
It’s important for kids to forget about what others are thinking about them and not place expectations on themselves. Expectations are often judgmental.
As for Williams, she displays a number of perfectionist traits that work for and against her.
“She won’t acknowledge that she got in the way of herself mentally,” says Dr. Cohn in the podcast. “She wants everyone to think she’s invincible.” However, her perfectionism has also helped her become a world-class tennis player.
Want to learn more about this fascinating tennis match and how it applies to helping young athletes?
You can listen to our discussion here:
(Subscribe to The Ultimate Sports Parent Radio Show at iTunes!)
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistakes While Competing
- What Can Athletes Learn from Elite Athletes’ Mindset?
- Sports Parents: Learn from Simone Biles’ “Twisties” During the Olympics?
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