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Failure: The Secret to Success
Frederick Douglass
was an
African-American
social reformer, abolitionist,
orator
,
writer, and
statesman
. Douglass escaped from
slavery
in Maryland, and became a national leader of the
abolitionist
movement in Massachusetts and New York. He gained notoriety for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writings.
The most influential African American of the nineteenth century, Douglass made a career of agitating the American conscience. He spoke and wrote on behalf of a variety of reform causes in addition to the abolition of slavery and gaining equal rights for African Americans. He took up the causes of women's rights, temperance, peace, land reform, free public education, and the abolition of capital punishment.
Douglass once wrote, "If there is no struggle, there can be no progress." And while we don't often put the struggles young athletes have with achieving success at the plate, on the field, or in the pool, into the same category as the struggle for freedom and equality, his prophetic words are ones young athletes should heed. Driven by the desire to "be the best" some young athletes confuse strivings or aspirations for perfection/success with the need to BE perfect. That need to be perfect, often fueled by perceived parental (and others) pressure, need for external approval, concern about making mistakes and rumination over past disappointing performance has led to the downfall of many young athletes with great potential and promise.
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Click to Read Research
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According to Canadian researchers from York University and the University of Winnipeg, writing about child-adolescent perfectionism:
Although perfectionism may have its positive aspects, perfectionism in children
and adolescents is typically regarded as a negative or neurotic characteristic (
e.g., Lo, 1969). The debilitating nature of this personality trait in children is
underscored by the fact that perfectionism has been discussed with respect
to such negative outcomes as pain (Liebman, 1978)
, suicide
(Delisle, 1990;
Stephens, 1987)
, anorexic tendencies
(Faust, 1987; Heron & Leheup, 1984;
Strober, 1980)
, school phobia
(Atkinson, Quarrington, Cyr, & Atkinson, 1989)
,
and chronic underachievement (Mandel & Marcus, 1988)
."
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Click to Watch on YouTube
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Even some global companies are recognizing the importance of struggle and failure as part of a cycle that leads to success. Take for example the case of Honda Racing. Honda's involvement in Formula One began with the
1964
season; their withdrawal in 1968 was precipitated by the death of a Honda driver during the
1968 French Grand Prix
. They returned in
1983
as an engine supplier, a role that ended in 1992. They returned again in
2000
, providing engines for
British American Racing
(BAR). In December 2008 it was announced that Honda would be exiting Formula One with immediate effect due to the
global financial crisis
and were looking to sell their team. Honda announced their intention to return to the sport in the
2015
season, and they continue with racing to this day.
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."
- Sir Winston Churchill
"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall."
- Confucius
"When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel."
- Eloise Ristad
One of the better ways to teach that failure is OK, especially with middle and high school athletes, is by modeling it as a coach. Modeling what you want from athletes is vital, even when it comes to struggles or handling mistakes and failures. Be explicit with your players when you are trying something new and learning from any mistakes along the way. Be open to sharing your errors and what you learned from them. If it involves practice or game situations, ask players for feedback on what can be improved and demonstrate by your actions that you are not immune to failing along the way and learning from it too.
Finally, here's something to get your athletes to ponder, "A mistake is only a mistake when you don't learn from it, otherwise it's a lesson," (from Anonymous).
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Don't Miss the 2018 Leadership Conference!
Register now for the 2018 Play Like a Championship National Leadership Conference!
Click here to visit the official conference page, where you can learn more and register today. This year's conference is June 22-23, 2018 on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. You don't want to miss out on the premier conference for coaches and administrators of youth and high school sports in North America!
"I absolutely LOVED the retreat and conference! Holy cow! What I appreciated the most was how it flowed from one thing to another and even the discussions during lunch. It kept everyone engaged and maximized the most for the time. I didn't want it to end! Thank you so much."
- Andy Shaw, Rapid City, SD (2016)
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Sports Stations of the Cross
The Play Like a Champion Today Educational Series offers a Sports oriented Stations of the Cross that is perfect for using with your teams this Lent. This includes scripture and meditations for each station that allow athletes to consider spiritual, physical and mental growth in the context of being a Catholic athlete.
Below is a meditation on the Third Station of the Cross. If you are interested in the full set, please contact us at [email protected].
The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time
Philippians 2:8: And being found in human form, Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus trips up the first time. He is thinking: Can I make it? Will I have enough energy to make it to the end? Will I fall again? As an athlete can I accept my limitations and realize that I will not always get a new move right the first time through or even the second?
How can I keep trying when the process of growth or getting better at my sport seems endless?
All: As I stumble in life, may I find motivation in Jesus' example of getting back up in the face adversity.
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Play Like a Champion Today / PO Box 72 / Notre Dame IN 46556 / 574-250-6424
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