Old school player development tells us, ‘winning is everything.’ The problem with focusing on performance outcomes though, is where does that leave us when we fail? What happens when we lose a match, a tournament or face rejection from a squad? How can we bounce back?
Professor Carol Dweck from Stanford University has extensively researched success and discovered that our mindset matters. Players with a growth mindset are more likely to achieve in the long run because they embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, believe they can improve through practice and learn through criticism. They wade through adversity rather than tip toe around it. Failure is seen as a learning opportunity and learning requires effort. As Brazilian football legend Pelé says, ‘everything is practice.’
Optimism plays an important role in helping us bounce back, too. Researcher, Sonja Lyubomirsky, says that pessimists tend to blame failure on internal, long-lasting and persuasive causes, such as, ‘I’m not as naturally talented as another player.’ An optimist tends to attribute failure to external, transient and specific causes. If they are not selected for a squad they are more likely to say, ‘My 1 v 1 attack was not as good as some of the other trialists, but if I work hard and practice I can get there.’ Fundamentally, the optimist is more likely to believe they can change the status quo. Lyubomirsky says, “This is likely to be one major reason why optimists are more successful.”
Fundamentally, the optimist is more likely to believe they can change the status quo.
Former US footballer, Mia Hamm, says, “True champions aren’t always the ones that win, but those with the most guts.” It takes guts to bounce back from failure. When faced with failure we can consider the following steps and whether they would be a good fit for us as we pursue our goals.
Five steps to bouncing back from failure:
01. Don’t feel threatened by other players
When we observe a teammate or trialist perform well, we should use this as an opportunity to self-reflect. What is it that they do that stands out? What would it take for us to get there?
02. Power Up on GRIT
Angela Lee-Duckworth researched achievement and found that grit accelerates our progress towards our goals. It involves extreme persistence and drives us to spend more time on deliberate practice. We cannot change the attributes we were born with, but we can control how much effort we put in.
03. Cultivate Optimism
Professor Laura King devised a positive psychology intervention to cultivate optimism. She called it the ‘Best Possible Selves’ exercise. It requires us to visualise our best possible future self if all our dreams were realised. Our Best Possible Self – dream playing style – becomes one of our role models and keeps us motivated in the pursuit of our goals.
04. Seek out Feedback
Feedback from coaches tells us where we need to direct our effort to improve our performance. We should actively listen and incorporate advice into
05. Look to The Stars
Ronaldinho says, “My heroes were always soccer players.” Researching sporting heroes can motivate us in times of failure. When did our heroes experience setbacks? How did they overcome them? Former Liverpool player Craig Johnson’s journey into elite football is one inspiring example of grit.
References
Coyle, D. (2010). The talent code. London, UK. Arrow Books.
Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. New York: Penguin Press.
Padilla-Walker, L. M., Day, R. D., Dyer, W. J. & Black, B. C. (2012). “Keep on keeping on, even when it’s hard!”: Predictors and outcomes of adolescent persistence. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 33(4), 433-457.
Seligman, M. (2012). Flourish. Sydney, Australia. Random House.
Snyder, C. R., Lopez, S. J., & Pedrotti, J. T. (2011). Positive psychology: The scientific and practical explorations of human strengths (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, USA. Sage Publications, Inc.
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302-314.
