Instilling a positive, development-centered mindset in athletes is dependent not only on coaches adopting a mindset themselves that places value upon development but also making development a central part of their approach – particularly after games or matches.

One could argue that the most important moment of an athlete’s development comes not in practice, not after a win, but after a loss – especially after a tough loss. After a loss, an athlete has to decide if he or she is going to learn and grow from the experience or dwell on the negative and let it hinder development.

It is tempting for athletes and coaches to allow winning and losing to dictate how they evaluate themselves. Winning and losing is a binary measuring stick – you are either better or worse than your opponent. However, coaches and athletes who understand development recognize the many nuances involved in a game or match and look for ways to improve while careful not to be blinded by the black and white nature of winning and losing.

Growth and Introspection

“The wolf on the hill is not as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill.”

After a loss, it is natural to be upset; competitive drives are valuable assets for athletes but also contribute to a sour taste in one’s mouth after a loss. Negative emotional reactions after a loss should not dominate an athlete’s mindset but rather should fuel development.

Athletes who view a loss as feedback and motivation ultimately set themselves up for growth. A loss highlights or exposes an athlete’s or team’s weaknesses. With the loss – and more importantly the feedback – fresh in one’s mind, this is a perfect opportunity for athletes to identify areas of improvement. Identifying weaknesses, using the emotional reaction of a loss as fuel for motivation, and then improving is vital for athletic development.

Lingering on a loss, blaming teammates, and looking for excuses make for a lost opportunity in which an athlete could have instead critiqued their performance and bettered his or herself. A loss provides an athlete with a tangible goal: to better one’s performance. It is up to coaches to create a mindset in which losing is not viewed as a tragedy but rather as an opportunity to motivate and ultimately bolster development.

While developmental pitfalls are a loss may seem more obvious, the pitfalls after a win are just as detrimental to an athlete’s development. It is easy for an athlete or coach to overlook and ignore areas of improvement after a win and instead be content with a victorious outcome.

It is imperative for coaches and athletes to move beyond such a limited outlook and critique performance with the same approach as after a loss; one focused on feedback and improvement. Athletes who dedicated time after a win to identifying what worked and what did not work – despite not having the more obvious feedback of a loss – learn to be in a constant state of growth and development. Coaches who value development encourage athletes not to rest upon their laurels but rather to examine their performance in a constructive manner while not being distracted by accolades or winning percentages.

Life-Lessons

Creating a positive, development-focused mindset is contingent upon coaches placing importance upon development and helping athletes understand that winning is not an absolute measure of success. Coaches must look for ways to encourage athletes to harness the negative energy produced after a loss and turn it into a positive by motivating one to train harder and find ways in which to improve. Coaches must also push athletes to continually have a mindset of development despite success, disallowing development to be stunted by contentment.

An additional upside to a development-centered approach is the introduction of many lessons that will extend beyond athletics. Student-athletes will learn to decide their own measures of success and not be confined to limiting definitions. They will develop grit and learn how to persevere through adversity, setbacks, and obstacles. They will learn how to turn negatives into positives without dwelling upon the negative. Lastly, they will understand the value of introspection and how to translate that into personal development.