Free Play Academy Newsletter #41
Topics that will be covered:
1. Sport Psychology Task of the week.
2. The Men of Army Lacrosse.
3. The greatest fuel an athlete can have.
Sport Psychology Task of the week.
After practice..
After a game..
Ask yourself..
Evaluate your effort, attitude & focus.
Identify improvement areas mentally & technically.
Develop a plan to improve these areas.
Identify things you did well.
Forgive yourself for mistakes & move forward with confidence.
The Men of Army Lacrosse.
Thank you to a Mitchell Pehlke who has been doing incredible things in the lacrosse media landscape, here is an inside look of the United States Military Academy Men’s Lacrosse program.
The greatest fuel an athlete can have.
I’ve been working with high school and youth players for over a decade now. Having seen both sides of the equation, it’s interesting to contrast seeing what parents and players think is required for success in lacrosse (and beyond), and then seeing what is actually required.
In today’s hyper-competitive culture, where we constantly compare ourselves to the rest of the world in just about every aspect imaginable, it’s tempting to fear that you or your athlete is being left behind when they choose to spend their time playing video games instead of training their craft. Perhaps they must be falling behind. The temptation, then, is to push them. If they can’t do it on their own, then as the parent, the solution must be to force your child into pushing for near perfection. Stop. Resist this temptation. If YOU are the reason your kid is striving for good grades, great athletic achievements, or any sort of excellence they will come to a point of failure. Because it needs to come from within THEM.
The number one thing that will matter in their success and future success is whether they can be intrinsically motivated towards mastering something that catches their interest. If they can harness this, they’ll figure the rest out.
When you are constantly pushing your son or daughter, you are training them away from that. They aren’t developing and cultivating the skill that allows them to be self-motivated enough to tackle whatever challenges they encounter. Am I saying to let your child meander through school and life? No. Set some expectations and standards. Maybe you won’t accept D’s if they are capable of A’s or B’s. But don’t fall for the trap of constantly being on top of your son or daughter to get his homework done or show up to practice. They need to figure out how to do those things on his own.
Instead of pushing your child towards perfection, encourage them to dabble in a number of subjects and fields until he finds something that catches their attention. Once you find that flash of interest, encourage them to dive deep and pursue it. It doesn’t matter if it’s lacrose, art, history, youtube videos, whatever. Why? The SKILLS of finding interests, sparking curiosity, and diving deep are what matter. Right now, it might be about video games, but in the future, it can be utilized for something “more important.” The key is they will learn what it means to motivate themself to the fullest and not need mom, dad, teacher, or coach to constantly be there pushing and prodding her to get her work done.
Thank you to Steve Magness of The Growth Equation for the insights!
The Free Game
The part of lacrosse that is played with the mind.
What will be covered are the 8 Principles of Performance.
Any lacrosse player can own the 1st ever sport psychology methodology specific to the game of Lacrosse.
This purchase will include a FREE consultation with Coach McDonnell via in-person or Zoom.
Here is a preview.
The cost is $24.99
You can purchase The Free Game here.
Lean in, do the work, stay focused and become uncommon.
Have a great week.