Writer

Aaron Redpath

It’s easy to engage in complaints and excuses especially after frustrating losses or performances. Sports naturally bring emotions out of us both good and bad. While there may be validity to a quarl you have and you can be 100% correct, understand the negative impact it has on your child. For one it allows them to get in the habit of choosing excuses as a coping mechanism which in turn impacts their self-accountability as well as their willingness to recognize, accept, and overcome mistakes. Once there is recognition and acceptance the excuses will stop and the process of attaining the results you want can start.

A strategy you can use to help your child with building a strong, resilient mentality is to be a model for them to follow. For example you can catch yourself in a moment of complaining/making excuses and then turn the situation around to be a model of self-accountability. Using teachable moments like this shows your child a real time example of what it’s like for someone to hold themselves accountable. This gives them experience and moments to remember next time they are in a situation in life or sport that they can find relatable.