You will be surprised where Winning ranks in the 'Fun' poll

Published: Mon, 04/27/15

Hope you're having a great week , it's a great time to start making winning your habit!
Fun - Not Winning - Essential to Keep Kids in Sports
-Study on what kids consider 'Fun'
This study asked kids 'Why do you play sports?' - 9 out of 10 answered because it is fun.  Then they asked them to define what is fun - they came up with 81 characteristics, and winning was down at #48 on the list.  A few more interesting results:
  • The top 3 fun factors were: Being a good sport, trying hard, and positive coaching
  • Good 'swag', such as uniforms, the latest sports gear, and trophies - was the lowest rated fun factor 

​I tested this theory last Friday night - as I was coaching a middle-school lacrosse game in which we were vastly overmatched athletically.  Being down 9-0 in the 3rd quarter, our kids were definitely not having fun.  So the coaching staff decided to mix things up - we asked every kid to try playing a different position and just go do their best, no pressure.  So defensive players were playing offense and visa-versa. They had a blast and were laughing, smiling, trying new things.  After the game the kids were all joking, re-telling stories of fun things they tried on the field.  Looking at the sidelines you would have thought our team was the one that won the game (we actually did a little better with these switches, but were still outscored 4-1.)  Now while I'm not advocating being a lazy coach and encouraging your teams to play sloppy - sometimes it's good to just relax and let your kids be kids and have fun.



Image
Episode 041 - Dr. Michael Cathey talks Player Development and is there truth to the 10,000 hour rule?
Episode 042 - John O'Sullivan from the Changing the Game Project talks Sports Specialization vs. Early Engagers
Make winning your habit starting today !
image
It's not the will to win that matters-everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.  - Paul "Bear" Bryant

Craig Haworth