A growth mindset of individuals refers to them believing that their talents can be further developed through their own effort and they are in control of their own abilities. This is vastly different from having a fixed mindset where the individuals believe they are talented and feel that they are born with the skill (Dweck, 2016). As a youth coach, it is important to have a growth mindset and strive to be a lifelong learner.

According to Wade Gilbert, an award-winning professor, when one person teaches, two people learn. Every youth athlete learns differently and as a youth coach tries to teach the youth athlete, he/she is also learning. To continuously help youth athletes improve and effectively reach out to everyone with different needs, it is important for coaches to be lifelong learners who constantly seek to upgrade and improve themselves. While it is beneficial for a coach to possess experience, he or she can further value-add themselves when the experience comprises of trying different training methods and constant self-upgrading instead of having a vast experience of doing the same thing. A successful lifelong learner has beliefs that there is always room for improvement to be achieved through hard work.

The importance for a coach to have a growth mindset is further highlighted when it affects the coach’s treatment towards his/her players. When coaches have a growth mindset, they believe that players can constantly improve with hard work put in instead of believing in talent. They are likely to retain more players, keep more players in the sport and also be able to uncover players who show potential only in the later part of their development. Hence, with a growth mindset, both coaches and youth athletes can benefit.

Implications of lacking growth mindset

• Inability to adapt to different team dynamics

• Inculcating a fixed mindset within the team

• Lack in training progress

• Missing out on late developing youth athletes with massive potential

Tips on how coaches themselves can develop a growth mindset (adapted from "coaching a growth mindset)

• 5 examples of questions to ask to develop growth mindset

• What did they learn from their performance?

• What are the steps taken to make them successful today?

• What are some other strategies they could have used?

• How did they keep on going when things got tough?

• What can they learn from their opponent today?

• Constantly looking for ways to improve

Reference

“Coaching a growth mindset” by BelievePHQ

Dweck, C. (2016, January 13). What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means. Retrieved July 23, 2017, from https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-mean

Gilbert , W. (2017, May 29). Coaching Better Every Day - Wade Gilbert. Retrieved October 02, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcXeDv-u3pM

Further readings