Tuesday 14 August 2018

If survival is the problem, ownership is the solution


One of my young female participants asked me last week what she could do to improve her throwing for water polo.  I replied that she was already strengthening the correct structures and movement patterns.  One week later she set new personal bests in the gym by way of effort, execution, and performance.  What changed?  The answer was ‘purpose and ownership’.  S (let’s call her that) has a specific want and she decided so herself – no one else informed her it was important.
The reason I raise the example of S, is parents and coaches regularly express a desire for their children to achieve more but don’t know how or under what conditions this might occur.  S provides the answer.  When the child wants an outcome and is willing to take ownership for driving the process toward it, we are on our way.  Why?  Positive psychology (more about this shortly).  New outcomes require positive energy and that’s what ownership brings.

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