You know it's true. Losing sucks. But how you deal with it makes all the difference in the world.
Did you see Florida State's dramatic upset over Duke last week? Were you crushed when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens in last week's NFL Playoff game? Seeing your favorite sports teams lose can be very disappointing. But what's more important for athletes is how they deal with a not so great performance or loss.
Over 44 million kids participate in sports each year in the United States. Are you one of them? If so, you've probably lost once or twice. So when the game clock hits zero and the scoreboard shows a loss, how do you get your confidence back?
Youth Sports Advocates give 3 tips to help you handle defeat:
1. Learn From Losing. Losing helps you grow. Learning from a mistake or setback is the perfect opportunity to make a change and tweak your game.
2. Use Your Voice. Talk about your frustration or disappointment with a coach, parent or friend and work on a fix. As a youth athlete, it's important to express how you feel so the game you love continues to be fun and rewarding.
3. Set Goals. Make a plan to improve a specific skill or technique. Practice makes perfect, or at least gives you the skills to play better the next time around.
Take a minute to think about how you feel after a not-so-stellar performance. Be sure you're getting the most out of your youth sports experience, win or lose. Then, help a teammate or friend do the same.
Filed under: Youth Sports
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