{"id":9217,"date":"2024-01-11T16:33:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T21:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=9217"},"modified":"2025-07-08T05:43:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:43:14","slug":"how-kids-can-learn-to-make-the-most-of-mistake-while-competing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-kids-can-learn-to-make-the-most-of-mistake-while-competing\/","title":{"rendered":"How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistakes While Competing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/leaning-from-mistakes.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/leaning-from-mistakes.jpg\" alt=\"How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistake While Competing\" class=\"wp-image-9218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/leaning-from-mistakes.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/leaning-from-mistakes-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kids_Confidence_is_Directly_Impacted_by_Their_Mistakes\"><\/span>Kids Confidence is Directly Impacted by Their Mistakes <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-kids-can-learn-to-make-the-most-of-mistake-while-competing\/#Kids_Confidence_is_Directly_Impacted_by_Their_Mistakes\" >Kids Confidence is Directly Impacted by Their Mistakes<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-kids-can-learn-to-make-the-most-of-mistake-while-competing\/#How_do_Elite_Athletes_Move_on_Quickly_from_Mistakes_or_Losses\" >How do Elite Athletes Move on Quickly from Mistakes or Losses?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-kids-can-learn-to-make-the-most-of-mistake-while-competing\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-kids-can-learn-to-make-the-most-of-mistake-while-competing\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All athletes make <strong>mistakes<\/strong>. But how kids respond to <strong>mistakes<\/strong> is critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, if a player misses the last shot of a basketball game, will that athlete pass up shots late in future games?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a young athlete drops a pass in the endzone with time running out on the game clock, will he become fearful and anxious when the ball is thrown to him later in the season?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a player received a red card late in the second half of a match, would she become overly cautious in the next game?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No matter the situation, kids\u2019 <strong>mistakes<\/strong> should not hurt their future performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Athletes who have difficulty letting go of <strong>mistakes<\/strong> share several misconceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Misconception #1<\/strong>: Mistakes are always negative: Not true, while mistakes can impact the result of a competition, mistakes provide valuable opportunities for learning and improving an athlete\u2019s performance in future contests.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Misconception #2<\/strong>: Mistakes are a sign of a lack of talent: Incorrect. Making mistakes doesn\u2019t mean athletes lack talent or are not good athletes. Kids need to learn how to respond or perform differently in similar circumstances to lift their game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Misconception #3<\/strong>: Avoiding mistakes is the key to success. Wrong! Trying to avoid mistakes often means they play it safe and are not pushing the limits of their potential. To be successful, young athletes must take calculated risks, aggressively compete and hustle throughout a competition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Misconception #4<\/strong>: Peak performance is the absence of mistakes: Incorrect. The pursuit of perfection leads to anxious play, not peak performance. In order to achieve peak performance, kids must have confidence in their ability to perform, given the athletic circumstances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_Elite_Athletes_Move_on_Quickly_from_Mistakes_or_Losses\"><\/span>How do Elite Athletes Move on Quickly from Mistakes or Losses?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elite athletes are not immune from mistakes; they have just learned how to use those miscues to benefit their growth as athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To move on from mistakes, elite athletes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Process the circumstances of what happened during a competition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learn how to prevent, avoid or rectify the issues that led to the mistake.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Look to develop mental, physical, technical or tactical skills to improve their performance when facing similar circumstances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most importantly, elite athletes don\u2019t measure or assign significance to mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, they believe there are no \u201cbig\u201d mistakes. Mistakes are just mistakes\u2013opportunities to learn and grow their game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New England veteran and wide receiver Matthew Slater has made his share of mistakes during his career. However, Slater\u2019s perspective on mistakes has kept him moving forward throughout his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFailure is a part of your career as a professional,\u201d said Alter. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna have high moments, and you\u2019re gonna have lows. You hope to have more highs than lows, but the most important thing is that you learn from it and grow and try to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growing as an athlete is a process. Kids are better athletes than they were last year because they learned from their mistakes. The key to confidence and peak performance is to stay committed to the \u201cgrowth process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Help kids ask themselves, after making mistakes, \u201cdoes this response help or hurt my confidence and performance?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This question allows athletes to examine the potential effects of their response to mistakes. Once they see how their response impacts their game, they can choose an alternative way to process those mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-sports-kids-grow-from-adversity\/\" title=\"Help Sports Kids Grow From Adversity\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-athletes-only-dwell-on-post-game-mistakes\/\"><strong>When Athletes Only Dwell on Post Game Mistakes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/addressing-anxiety-mistakes-and-low-confidence-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>Addressing Anxiety, Mistakes and Low Confidence in Youth Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/josh-tholes-take-on-coping-with-mistakes\/\"><strong>Josh Thole\u2019s Take on Coping With Mistakes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kids Confidence is Directly Impacted by Their Mistakes All athletes make mistakes. But how kids respond to mistakes is critical. For example, if a player misses the last shot of a basketball game, will that athlete pass up shots late in future games? If a young athlete drops a pass &#8230; <a title=\"How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistakes While Competing\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-kids-can-learn-to-make-the-most-of-mistake-while-competing\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistakes While Competing\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[309,39,301],"class_list":["post-9217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence-in-youth-sports","tag-kids-sports-psychology","tag-pressure-in-youth-sports","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}