That is ludicrous. Everyone fears failure. Some move past it and ultimately succeed, others don't and fail, but fear of failure is a basic instinct. That is like the fools that told me they were never afraid in combat.
Fear of failure
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That is ludicrous. Everyone fears failure. Some move past it and ultimately succeed, others don't and fail, but fear of failure is a basic instinct. That is like the fools that told me they were never afraid in combat.
I haven't had a girl walk three or four in a row in probably 30 years. I pull them after two walks and put someone else in. (You do that a couple of times, and they stop walking two girls in a row.) I've never had an infielder "melt down" on me during a game and start making error after error.
I have had lots of kids make bonehead plays. But, when people start attributing mistakes in sports to something like "fear of failure", they are simply saying, "I don't know what to do. I'll give it a nice label and tell her to go see Dr. Phil."
All mistakes by players are due to identifiable mechanical or *specific* (not general) mental mistakes. So, a kid who makes a mistake is just a kid who needs further instruction. The kid doesn't have some huge mental problem...he just needs to be taught better. The vast majority of coaches (present company excluded) can't really "see" the causes of the mistakes and can't coach there way out of a paper bag.
Look at the Army...the US military can teach 18YOA kids to take a rifle and defend a position with people trying to kill them. And, yet, we can't take those same 18YOA kids and teach them how to field a grounder because of "fear of failure"? Come on...it is just an excuse for giving up on a kid.
True story: My DD#3 was an 80% free throw shooter in college. During the NCAA D3 championship game, she missed every free throw but her shooting from the field fine. I asked her what happened with the free throws. She said that as long as the game was moving, she was fine. She said that when the game stopped for free throws, her hands would start shaking. That wasn't "fear of failure"...she was just a kid excited to be playing (finally) in 'the big game'.
No, you're wrong. Sure, kids be disappointed by failure, but that isn't the same as fear of failing.
Kids are primarily afraid of embarrassment in front of their parents and friends, not fear of "failing". A coach can alleviate the fear of embarrassment by proper coaching, treating all the players the same, and letting kids feel the joy of playing softball.
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Obviously never been in that situation. Spend a night dug in at a FOP sometime. Bring extra shorts.
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By definition a fear of failing which is the inability to achieve a desired objective or outcome. True many kids may not fear the failure of fielding a ball or striking out. But they certainly fear failing to meet the expectations of others or let others down. Which is why many perform much better in practice and competition when parents, boyfriends and often coaches are not around. I have often been tempted when hover parents ask me what they can do to help their daughter to play better to say - "STAY HOME!"
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I try to teach my kids about "the power of negative thinking." If you worry about making mistakes, and you are playing to not make mistakes, then you will make them because you are already in a negative mindset. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Furthermore, the brain doesn't register "don't." If I say to you:
"Don't think of a yellow elephant"
what did you just do? You can't go into the batter's box telling yourself what not to do ("don't swing at bad pitches," "don't strike out"). You go into the box telling yourself what to do ("lay off the high ones," "get a good pitch and drive it").
Furthermore, the brain doesn't register "don't." If I say to you:
"Don't think of a yellow elephant"
what did you just do? You can't go into the batter's box telling yourself what not to do ("don't swing at bad pitches," "don't strike out"). You go into the box telling yourself what to do ("lay off the high ones," "get a good pitch and drive it").
- Dec 7, 2011
- 2,365
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Ya I am thinking it's a combination of cowdogz & OILF where the negative thinking leads towards giving up once the negative self-fulfillment has been achieved.
In watching the ULL team for the first time and getting amused by the pitcher with the black glass frames I recalled a very good ULL pitcher (I thought) Jordan Wallace,... from a year or two back. The announcers said that she had an injury of some sort then just mentally could not get it back (but should have). That's a shame cuz I thought she was a rising star.
But their other pitcher, the one with the black glass frames (Christina Hamilton), she is amazing in that I don't see anything special in her pitching YET she obviously has a "never-give-up" gritty mindset to drive through to where they are today. I NEVER would have given Hamilton an ice-cubes chance if I would have just seen Hamilton warm-up and I knew Arizona could hit the way they did in Regionals.
I take my hat off to this tiger of a pitcher - Hamilton,....and I wish I could understand how to develop that mindset she so obviously is a champion of.
In watching the ULL team for the first time and getting amused by the pitcher with the black glass frames I recalled a very good ULL pitcher (I thought) Jordan Wallace,... from a year or two back. The announcers said that she had an injury of some sort then just mentally could not get it back (but should have). That's a shame cuz I thought she was a rising star.
But their other pitcher, the one with the black glass frames (Christina Hamilton), she is amazing in that I don't see anything special in her pitching YET she obviously has a "never-give-up" gritty mindset to drive through to where they are today. I NEVER would have given Hamilton an ice-cubes chance if I would have just seen Hamilton warm-up and I knew Arizona could hit the way they did in Regionals.
I take my hat off to this tiger of a pitcher - Hamilton,....and I wish I could understand how to develop that mindset she so obviously is a champion of.
Respect the Specs !
I too wish that DD would take a page from Hamilton's book.
I too wish that DD would take a page from Hamilton's book.
All kids have some level of fear (anxiety) at some point while playing.
It usually not failure that they fear, but the reaction from other people (teammates, coaches, parents). The more ''unconditional regard'' that the player feels from those people, the less anxious/fearful she gets.
It usually not failure that they fear, but the reaction from other people (teammates, coaches, parents). The more ''unconditional regard'' that the player feels from those people, the less anxious/fearful she gets.
