The Importance of FUN in Sports by Sara Robinson, MA
Having
fun – it seems so simple, and it may be surprising to hear that fun is what
made the difference for Michael Phelps in his final Olympic Games. Fun is the
reason many of our youth athletes begin playing sports, and sadly, lack of fun
is one of the most often reported reasons why athletes leave sports. Many athletes
end up quitting their sport at the onset of adolescence when other areas of
life take on more importance, and if sports are no longer fun, they likely
won’t want to stay.
Coaches
have the ability to help sports remain fun, even when the level of competition
becomes more serious and gets tougher. Here are a few ideas to help your
athletes continue to have fun:
Encourage
athletes to set their own goals. Motivation is higher when athletes have a
sense of control over what they are working on. Allow athletes to have some say
in how practices are run.
You are
the coach, and you can remain in control, but perhaps an athlete chooses one
drill at the end of practice, or give them two choices and they can vote on
which one they prefer.
Similar
to setting goals, athletes will be more motivated and have more fun when they
have a say in what goes on.
Praise effort and improvement, and spread positive
reinforcement equally amongst your athletes. When athletes see that they are
making progress, they are likely to be more inclined to continue to work harder
and want to see more improvement; if they are mostly told what they’re doing
wrong, this can take away the fun.
Notice if your athletes smile and laugh, or if they
regularly look less than happy.
You can have athletes who not only take training seriously,
but do so in an environment with laughter and fun. Maybe you plan team outings
or team dinners, or celebrate birthdays on the field after practice. Find ways
to help your team enjoy spending time together.
Ask yourself: Am I having fun? If you aren’t, chances are
this will affect how you are coaching your team. Find ways to have fun when you
coach; talk with your assistant coaches or fellow coaches and think about how
you and your athletes can have fun on the field. Michael Phelps’ coach works
hard but you can tell by watching him that he enjoys what he does.
Athletes who have fun and enjoy their experiences in sport
will often stay involved longer than those who do not have fun on a regular basis.
Getting to the Olympics, or high levels of sport performance, certainly
requires more than just having fun, but chances are if the fun is lost then the
athlete may not stay involved long enough to find out just how far he or she
can go. Michael Phelps knows how important it is to “just have fun” and coaches
are a great resource for helping athletes find and maintain fun as they train,
prepare and compete.
Sara Robinson, MA, is a Mental Skills Coach with a Master’s
Degree in Sport Psychology. She works with parents, coaches and athletes ages
8-18 to teach the mental skills necessary for sport and life. To receive her
quarterly newsletter or for more information, visit www.trainingthemind.com
or email Sara_SportPsych@hotmail.com.
