Increasing Your Athlete's Self-Esteem

by Coach Doug Reese, TTNL

Self-Esteem is defined as: respect for or a favorable impression of oneself.

For an athlete to reach his or her true potential in athletics or life, it is imperative that they believe in themselves

While must coaches believe that they can increase an athlete's self-esteem, the fact is it isn't that simple. First, overcoming an athlete's personal self-image as created by his or her parents, or environment is sometimes just impossible. It takes time to make changes where a negative self-image has been built over a long period of time.

Second, the relationship between high self-esteem and athletic performance is unestablished. Ironically, some high-performance athletes are in fact powered by insecurity, not self-confidence.

It is indisputable however, that self-esteem and self-worth impact an athlete's satisfaction and happiness in life. A coach can foster self-esteem in countless ways. Among the simplest are just encouraging, smiling, joking, knowing more than just the athlete's name, forgiving, and by simply listening attentively to them.

It is also important to set attainable goals. Kids - and their parents often have unrealistic expectations of the future. Focus on taking the athlete through things one step at a time. Then catch them in the act of doing it right! Praise them, build them up, and love them. That is the surest way of building self-esteem in all of your athletes.