Presented by Downtown Conoco

Mistakes is our word of the week starting tomorrow and for the next two weeks.

One of the most important things we can do as coaches and parents is to make our kids are comfortable with making mistakes. There can be a lot of pressure on kids to be perfect. They may feel this from adults, their peers, their teachers, social media, etc. As a result, many kids think it is most important to be successful in the moment. This can result in them avoiding risk, taking the easy road, or getting excessively frustrated when things don’t go their way. None of these behaviors are conducive to becoming champions on and off the mountain!

There are many ways we can help kids be comfortable with making mistakes. One is being vulnerable ourselves, and being able to admit when we make mistakes. We may try a difficult task along with the athletes and be OK if we don’t get it quite right. Another way is by celebrating the effort over the end result. A mistake is an opportunity to learn. Encourage your athlete to wear their wristband, and to be brave and signify that they understand that mistakes are part of the process of getting better, and that they don’t fear mistakes.