The Problem with Improvement

I want to share with you a problem I have faced. It’s a problem all athletes face, and one that can be extremely frustrating and discouraging throughout a career.

The problem is players put in an immense amount of time, energy, and effort, but struggle to see their improvement.

They don’t know for the most part when they’re getting better. It’s just like getting taller or losing weight. We have a hard time seeing the changes in ourselves. But when someone who hasn’t seen us in a while comes back into contact with us, they easily notice our growth and slimmer physique.

I recently had this experience when watching my son play basketball. I noticed an improvement in some specific areas he had been working on. The interesting thing was, even though I noticed he had taken significant steps forward, he couldn’t tell.

As parents, this is where we come in. We don’t see every workout and practice our kids have, which places us in a unique position to spot improvement.

The best thing we can do as parents is to identify our kid’s growth, share with them specifically how they have improved, and watch how their perceptions of themselves begin to transform.

If we do this, we’ll develop young people who push through adversity, who understand the consistent work required to achieve anything significant, and who begin to lead teammates the same way we have led them: with care, truth, and encouragement.

– Mano