Sports & Encouragement Effects

Athletes learn more than how to play a sport from their coach. They learn the approach to playing the sport and leading a team. A majority of athletes will never use the skills they learn from playing sports at a professional athletic level. They may use those skills to develop teams in the professional workplace. Learning the importance that encouragement plays in the development of skills on the athletic field and in the workplace.

  1. Improvement In Performance

    • Studies referenced by peakperformance.com and iospress.com indicate that encouraging athletes can help them improve their performance. The study used several athletes that has the same sets of skills and completed the same tasks. Some of these athletes were left on their own to complete the tasks. Others in the test group were given constant positive feedback and encouragement as they attempted to complete their goals. The tests indicated that the groups given constant encouragement performed at a higher level.

    Positive Coaching

    • Encouragement through positive coaching can help motivate athletes according to the simplylacrosse.com website. Teaching the players that just because they lose they are not a loser, and just because they win they are not necessarily a winner helps them focus on the more important lessons in sports. Encouraging learning how to do a task the correct way instead of cheating can help develop that mentality in the athletes and allow them to carry into other interests such as school and work.

    Encouragement of Special Skills

    • Not every athlete is going to be the team's star. Encouragement can help the athlete discover what they do best when playing that sport. Even if an athlete is not good enough to get a lot of playing time, if he has a strong knowledge of the game, encourage him to participate by helping to coach the team. As an example, this could include allowing a seldom-used pitcher on a high school baseball team to call the pitches for the pitching staff. This will encourage that athlete's interests in possibly becoming a coach, or to develop decision-making skills. By encouraging each player to contribute to the team in her own way, it makes each member of the team feel like they contribute to the team's success, even if her playing time is limited.