Resilience Building in Young Athletes

Youth sports coaches play a pivotal role in fostering resilience in our youth. It equips them with the mental strength to overcome challenges, setbacks, and failures. Some techniques that are usefull in building resiliency are:

• Promoting a mindset of incremental growth rather than large leaps and bounds in advancement can remind young athletes that things don’t happen overnight.

• Creating a space of respect between you, the player, and their teammates. This respect will yield encouragement and a space where mistakes are accepted.

• Ask questions to assist in the athlete’s reflection process

• Encourage the desired behavior and remind the athlete of their potential even through their challenges.

Coaches who integrate resilience-building techniques into their approach help children develop a strong mindset, teaching them the value of reflection, perseverance, and determination both on and off the field.