college 101
game on
pay the way
test prep
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game on
sports mentor
parent to parent
A GOOD TRY
Mental coach Steve Genetski answers questions
from student athletes’ parents and gives his take
on trying and trying again.
Q:
A:
My child is trying out for a team.
How can I as a parent help him
mentally prepare for the tryout?
My child didn’t make the team.
How can I help them cope with
the disappointment? What are
some ways I can better cope
with my own disappointment?
Q:
A:
The only way to fail is to fail to try. Your
child should be commended for his or her
courage and effort in trying out. Many of the greatest athletes
who ever lived were unsuccessful at tryouts. Believe it or not,
Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time,
failed to make his high school basketball team. In his case, the
disappointment of not making the team motivated him to out-
meet Steve
Steve’s proven performance training
methods get results. He has trained more than
200 student athletes and many were All-State,
State Champions or State Record-Holders.
IMAGES BY LIZZY NICOLE PHOTOGRAP HY
Tryouts are more about coaches evaluating physical attributes and key skills of the
individuals trying out. The better your child is prepared in those
areas the more likely he or she is to have a successful tryout. As
far as mental preparation is concerned, my advice would be the
same for a tryout as it is for playing in the Super Bowl. First and
foremost, stay loose and relaxed. Nobody is at their best when
they are nervous and worried about outcome. Next, stay alert
and focused on the task at hand. Paying close attention to what
you are doing is always beneficial. Last, but not least, believe
in yourself. It’s difficult for others to believe in you if you don’t
believe in yourself.
work everyone else and eventually become better than everyone
else who ever played the game. Young athletes need to understand that if they are truly passionate about their sport they can
always achieve a degree of success if they are willing to put in
the time and effort.
Your job as a parent is to love, support and encourage your
children. Be proud of the courage your child exhibited to try out
in the first place. You need to remind yourself that making or
not making the team is not about you. If you show disappointment, your child is sure to feel like they let you down. Any time
your children try out for a team and are not chosen provides
you a great opportunity to show unconditional support to your
child. Not every child is a gifted athlete, and that’s ok. There are
many joyful paths in life for your children to pursue. Help them
find the one to which they are best suited.
his clients
20 High-School or College All-Americans
25 became Professional Athletes
$30 million in scholarship offers
LEARN MORE AT WWW.STEVESPORTSSTARS.COM AND CONTACT STEVE AT 205-979-5351.
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