Growth Mindset In Sports
Introduction
Challenges will always be integral to sports, no matter how skilled you are. Athletes will inevitably struggle with injury and failure along their athletic career. To persevere through these adversities, many athletes have developed a growth mindset. What exactly is a growth mindset? How can athletes change their mentality to promote positive change?
What is a growth mindset?
A growth mindset means actively seeking challenges rather than avoiding them. Those with a growth mindset believe that through hard work and determination, they can better themselves and develop their abilities. They see failure not as a setback but as a tool for improvement and ultimately success. As Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University says, “This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every way in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments, everyone can change and grow through application and experience” (Dweck)
In contrast, those with a fixed mindset believe that nothing can be done to improve themselves and that they are stuck with whatever skill they already have. A fixed mindset limits progression and does not embrace mistakes, which are necessary to learn and get better. However, there are ways to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset.
Transitioning from a fixed to growth mindset
The best way to develop a growth mindset is to change the things you say to yourself. What you tell yourself is crucial to how you view challenges and ultimately whether you can take them on.
Instead of saying:
“I can’t do this.”
“This is too difficult for me.”
“I’ll never make it that far.”
“I’m already good enough.”
Tell yourself:
“I can improve with enough effort.”
“It’s difficult, but I can get through it.”
“Let’s see what I can achieve.”
“How can I be even better than I already am?”
A growth mindset is all about perspective. As the Association for Applied Sport Psychology puts it, “Is the weight too heavy to lift or will the weight take all of one’s strength to move?” (Davis) Instead of viewing something as impossible, acknowledge that it will undoubtedly require effort, but is not out of reach. What’s crucial is overcoming the fear of failure and accepting potential, repeated failure before success. Even if it doesn’t work out in the end, learning valuable lessons from those trials is important. Additionally, being open to constructive criticism is part of a growth mindset.
Applying a growth mindset to sports and beyond
With a growth mindset, athletes can change their behavior and strategies, and adapt to various situations. Let’s say you’re in a race or a game, and you see that you’re running out of time to make a mark you wanted or to make up a gap in points. Athletes with a growth mindset won’t view this as an incentive to give up. As long as there is time left on the clock, it’s not over.
Now imagine your opponents outmatch you in skill and experience. Instead of telling yourself that they’re too fast or too good for you, you can adjust your strategies to account for the difference. A growth mindset doesn’t guarantee universal success, but it provides the opportunity to succeed.
The growth mindset transcends sports. It can be applied to school, work, and several other aspects of life as well. Making small changes to your mentality over time can help you tap into what you’re capable of. By letting go of limiting beliefs, you might surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.
Sources
Davis, Jim. “Revisiting Growth Mindset as a Core Capacity of Sport Psychology.” Revisiting Growth Mindset as a Core Capacity of Sport Psychology | Association for Applied Sport Psychology, appliedsportpsych.org/blog/2021/04/revisiting-growth-mindset-as-a-core-capacity-of-sport-psychology/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2024.
Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books, 2016.
“What Is a Growth Mindset? 8 Steps to Develop One.” Western Governors University, 9 May 2022, www.wgu.edu/blog/what-is-growth-mindset-8-steps-develop-one1904.html.