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Help Your Young Athlete Go From Setback…To Comeback

By USAHockey.com, 03/10/14, 4:45PM MDT

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Life is a series of peaks and valleys. Hits and misses. Setbacks and comebacks.

Sports present a unique opportunity for our kids to learn this valuable life lesson. Each and every experience, both positive and negative, helps our kids develop as an athlete and as a person.

But we can’t forget that they’re only kids. They still need our guidance. Our encouragement. Our direction. Our support. Especially when things don’t turn out the way they hoped and dreamed they would.

So when your young athlete faces adversity, what will you tell them? How can you convince them to stay positive, work hard and achieve better results the next time out?

Liberty Mutual Insurance, in partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance, offers the following helpful tips and tactics for turning their setbacks into comebacks. And we invite you and your young athlete to learn more at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Responsible Sports website.

  • In Your Corner.  Ensure them you’re on their team and believe in them. “I believe in you!” or  “You can do this!” are words we all need to hear sometimes.  Bouncing back is lot easier when your family and friends are behind you.
  • 100% Effort.  There are many parts of the game they can’t control, but they can control the effort they put in.  Let them know that win or lose the only thing that matters is that they gave it their all.
  • Mistakes are okay. Mistakes are a natural part of sports.  The best hitter in baseball – with a .300 batting average – ‘misses’ 7 out of 10 times!   Remind your young athlete that the challenge is not to have a ‘perfect’ game, but to stay positive in those moments and bounce back.
  • Keep learning.  Setbacks can offer your child great opportunities to learn and grow. When a setback happens, ask your child “What do you wish you did differently?  If that situation happens again, ask them “How would you approach it now?”  Create a plan of attack for practicing a new approach to the same situation and how to create a new outcome – a new learning – from the setback.
  • Stay positive. It can be hard to think and feel “positive” in the wake of a setback or mistake, but attitude is the springboard for success. The quicker you can teach your kids to “brush it off,” refocus and move on to the next challenge, the better the outcome. 

With these simple tips from Liberty Mutual Insurance, we hope that your child can rise up from their setbacks, coming back even stronger.

At Liberty Mutual Insurance, we constantly look for ways to celebrate the countless acts of responsibility shown by people every day. We created Responsible Sports, powered by Positive Coaching Alliance, as part of this belief to help ensure that our kids experience the best that sports have to offer in environments that promote and display responsibility. We believe kids can learn valuable life lessons when coaches and parents come together to support winning on and off the field. Join the Responsible Sports movement!

©2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Positive Coaching Alliance. All rights reserved. This material may not be distributed without express written permission. Any reproduction in whole or part by and individuals or organizations will be held liable for copyright infringement to the full extent of the law.

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