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Resilience and Grit: Dispelling the Myths of Mindset

By Twin Cities Orthopedics, 12/16/19, 7:30PM PST

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Participating in sports can be an exciting time for kids.  They develop friendships, learn new skills, and work ethic.  Coaches spread messages of mental toughness, grit, resilience, community, and leadership.  There are many positive aspects of competition in your child’s development and performance.  The biggest challenge is how can we cultivate a child’s mindset to be more resilient. Let’s start by discussing what it is and is not.

Resilience is NOT an attribute.  It is learned

Our mindset comes from learned experiences in competition and reinforced by coaches and parents.  You and the coach have the biggest influence on the mindset of your child.
 

Resilience is a group effort

When we see resilient individuals, we see strong support structures.  Positive team cultures, supportive family and friends are critical to resilience.

Resilience is perspective

The opposite of resilience is rigidness.  When athletes struggle with their confidence and performance, they get so laser-focused on the distress (negative emotions or the mistake itself) that they lose perspective on the situation.  

So how can we cultivate a Resilient Mindset?

  1. Instill a learning mentality:  Are they getting Bitter or Better?
    • Ask your child what they learned from their performances and their participation
    • Ensure that they can name BOTH things they did well in addition to things they need to improve.  (Too often we get hung-up on what we can improve and forget what we do well).
  2. Maintain a supportive relationship
    • Separate “Chalk-Talk” from the family time.  Be mom and dad when it’s time to be mom and dad.  Establish times with your child on when to discuss their performance.
    • Make sure your child knows that you are proud of them regardless of result. 
  3. Emotions are helpful
    • When we make mistakes, it is human nature to become frustrated.  Remind your kids that being frustrated or annoyed is perfectly normal.  
    • Help your kids accept that they are frustrated and then discuss what they can learn from that experience in order to maintain perspective

PRESENTED BY

This content is presented in partnership with Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO) and written by Premier Sport Psychology.  Training HAUS, powered by Twin Cities Orthopedics offers Sport Psychology services provided by Premier Sport Psychology. To book your first appointment, please call 952-835-8513. 


TCO is committed to providing world-class service to everyone we encounter.   Our orthopedic specialists deliver individualized care informed by active research and outcomes data.  TCOmn.com.  Training HAUS, powered by TCO, is an elite athletic performance and recovery philosophy that is unparalleled in the Twin Cities. Utilizing innovative, science-based methods, our industry-leading team of experts work together to form a personalized approach for the athlete. Collectively, we establish a foundation for athletic performance that promises to challenge, inspire and produce real results. Sports performance services are available at the Training HAUS flagship location in Eagan MN, TCO Sports Performance facilities or at your school, field or facility. TrainingHAUS.com.

For urgent medical advice or concerns, please contact your clinic directly. For medical emergencies, please dial 911.

 

 

ABOUT TWIN CITIES ORTHOPEDICS

This content is presented in partnership with Twin Cities Orthopedics. Twin Cities Orthopedics is committed to providing world-class service to everyone we encounter. Our independent orthopedic specialists deliver individualized care informed by active research and outcomes data. TCO prides itself on being an innovative, nimble organization that can adapt quickly to an ever-changing healthcare environment. 

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