Parents and Coaches,
Athletic Confidence can be compared to a brick wall…and your athlete needs to become a bricklayer.
However, the bricklayer must be ready to work and that work may take a while and can be painstaking. He or she must show up with the intention of getting at least one solid brick laid every day – perfectly. If that brick is perfect then other bricks can be laid on top of it. A solid brick will not fall from a “gust” of another’s opinion or crumble from external pressure or more damaging - internal pressure.
True confidence comes from challenge. Doing something that is easy builds nothing more than a paper mache wall. Playing on a team where your athlete is heads-above everyone else may be fine for a 6-year old or a recreational athlete, but won’t foster maximized athletic development. Serious youth and high school athletes need challenge to build the kind of confidence that supports reaching their true potential.
