The Growth Mindset: A Coach's Thoughts
Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right. - Henry Ford
I found Henry Ford's quote when I was in high school and it has been in the back of my head ever since. This video will explain the Growth Mindset concept better than I ever could. Feel free to watch, and read my thoughts below.
As a coach, this is something that I come across on a daily basis. Examples are as simple as:
"My knee hurts today, I can't train."
An athlete shutting down for the rest of practice because he/she was singled out for not doing something as asked.
Coach Will Hewlett has a great saying: "Embrace the Awkward" when teaching throwing and quarterback mechanics. This is part of the learning process. Re-teaching your body how to move, especially with higher level athletes is a very hard thing to coach and get them to trust in the why's.
The Growth vs Fixed mindset is something everyone switches between, but I believe if the concept is known, it is much easier to stay positive, receive feedback, and continually learn and grow.
Skills are developed: We've all heard of someone saying the quotes below. There's usually some seriously hard focused learning and years of practice with each of the examples that goes unseen.
"He's a natural sales guy."
"That guy is so lucky."
"Everything lined up perfectly for that team."
"That point guard has unbelievable vision, what a gifted kid."
Athletes need to truly believe they can learn, grow, and get better. Being a coach is not only teaching lifting, sprinting, and recovery: It is often a daily psychology lesson. Being at the field at 5:30am on a frosty Wisconsin morning to do conditioning...Coach are you crazy? Adding weight to the bar when the last set was about to crush you. Trusting that the offensive line will block their given assignments so the QB can throw that touchdown pass in the final seconds? These things do happen and start because that team showed up every single frosty morning at 5:30am in the off-season for years. The little things add up.
Continually pushing yourself out of your comfort zone as an athlete, parent, coach, business person, etc. will lead to amazing things. You're in complete control of where you currently are. Your mindset, combined with effort is what has guided you to this point thus far. It takes the same effort to succeed as it does to fail, it is based off daily decisions and habits.
- Set goals
- Be consistent/Show up
- Put pressure on yourself
- Go out and achieve what you want
I wish everyone success and feel free to reach out anytime. Have a fantastic rest of week/end. Cheers!
