Your Beliefs: The mud an athlete fights through, or the fast pass to their growth?

This post started about the limiting beliefs you place on yourselves. But buckle up brothers and sisters, it turned into one about the power of your beliefs about others, and it’s a doozy.

As coaches, your role extends beyond strategizing and training; you are mentors, motivators, and guides in the journey of athletic development. As a Christian, I will take this one step further and say that you are borrowing them from God in order to play a unique role in their growth.

The Study

You may still be shaken up from the epic title of this blog, but let me explain with a study that rocked me to my core. It is commonly known as the “Pygmalion effect” or “Rosenthal effect,” based on research conducted by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson in the 1960s. Here’s a summary: Rosenthal and Jacobson hypothesized that when teachers were led to expect enhanced performance from certain students, those students would indeed show greater intellectual growth. The study started when researchers administered a non-verbal IQ test to elementary school students. Based on the test results, they randomly selected 20% of the students and informed teachers that these students showed “unusual potential for intellectual growth” and were expected to “bloom” academically in the upcoming year. In reality, these students were average performers and were not identified as having higher potential through the test.  By the end of the school year, these randomly selected students showed significantly greater intellectual development compared to their peers. Teachers had treated these students more positively, giving them more attention, providing more challenging assignments, and offering more support and encouragement.

The students identified as having high potential (even though this was not based on actual test results) ended up achieving significantly higher academic performance compared to their peers who were not labeled in this manner.

The study showed that teachers’ expectations and attitudes towards students can significantly influence the students’ academic performance and intellectual development. 

This effect can be linked to a concept called a “self-fulfilling prophecy” where students internalize teachers’ expectations and adjust their behaviors and efforts accordingly.

Why This Matters To You:

The Pygmalion effect underscores the importance of teacher beliefs and expectations in shaping student outcomes. Coaches are teachers. 

You hold so much power in your hands.

This study highlights the potential for positive outcomes when coaches have high expectations and provide supportive environments for all athletes, regardless of initial assessments. High expectations! Not a narrative of “you’re so great” “you shanked that pass? That’s okay” Right?! Having a level of high expectations and high support is the KEY.

Hear me loud and clear though with what else this study shows. The Pygmalion effect warns against the negative impact of low expectations, which can unintentionally limit your athletes’ potential and achievement. This is what I meant about fighting through the mud. If you say, “She’s just not a passer”, she will either fight to prove you wrong, or believe you and stop practicing passing (either consciously or subconsciously). More often than not, it’s the latter. They trust you, so they believe your perceived limitations.

It pains me to say this, but I have done this. I have had athletes struggle in my program just to see them thrive somewhere else the next year. I have made my assessment of their talent level fact and given them less opportunity to grow. I remember a specific athlete that I wrote off as being immature and selfish. She is now a phenomenal youth leader in her church and spends her life sacrificing for others. I never gave her an opportunity to lead because I didn’t think she was capable. ::barf:: I’m so thankful she pressed on and continued to grow.

I’m Gutted, Now What?

1. Start with Understanding the Flaw in the “Natural Bias”

People have a tendency to favor talent over effort. Think about the coaches drooling at the 8th grader that can hit the 10 ft. line, only to have her burn out and hate volleyball in her junior year. We underestimate the power of perseverance and passion in achieving long-term success. 

It’s easier to focus solely on God-given abilities—speed, agility, natural talent. But success expert (and author of the must-read book Grit) Angela Duckworth’s research reveals that these attributes, while beneficial, are not the sole predictors of achievement. Instead, it is grit—the relentless pursuit of goals through determination and resilience—that emerges as the true cornerstone of extraordinary performance. Hard work is a multiplier for talent. A MULTIPLIER. Are you gritty enough to endure the period of time before that athlete’s hard work beats out the more talented player?

As coaches, your role extends beyond identifying raw talent; to get the most from your athletes, you must nurturing a mindset that values effort, perseverance, and the willingness to endure setbacks as key components of growth. By acknowledging and fighting against the natural bias towards talent, you pave the way for a culture where grit can flourish and lead to unparalleled athletic achievement.

     2. Set High Expectations

Define Clear Standards of the Controlables: What is an exceptional level of attitude, effort, and communication look like in your space? You can have the highest of standards here, because these are things your athletes can control.

Communicate Expectations: Clearly communicate these standards to your athletes, emphasizing your belief in their ability to achieve them. The word “high energy” can mean a thousand things to a thousand people. Clearly talk through what this looks like in your program (the locker room, pregame warmup, after a mistake, etc).

       3. Provide Supportive Feedback and Encouragement

Positive Reinforcement: Offer consistent and specific praise for efforts and achievements. Look for ways to “call out” your athletes for meeting the team’s standards. 

Constructive Feedback: Focusing on areas for growth while maintaining an optimistic outlook. Reinforce the belief that improvement is possible for each individual. This can look like the simple word difference after a ball is dropped between two passers in serve receive. “You two have to figure that out!” leads to embarrassment, shame, and their brains working towards self-preservation. “You two can figure that out!” Leads to acceptance and problem-solving. Test me on this one.

       4. Create a Healthy High-Performing Environment

Build Trust and Respect: Value and respect your athletes by offering spaces to openly communicate. “An open door policy” isn’t enough. Ask for true feedback and listen. 

Encourage Risk-Taking: Emphasize the importance of taking calculated risks and learning from mistakes as opportunities for growth. 

       5. Personalize Coaching Approaches

Tailor Coaching Strategies: Recognize individual strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles to customize training and development plans. This is probably the most difficult one, especially from club organizations, but the time invested in your athletes will pay off huge. In a meta-analysis by Roorda et al. (2011), positive teacher-student relationships were found to significantly correlate with academic achievement across various grade levels. Time spent building relationships, understanding students’ backgrounds, and addressing their individual needs contributed to improved engagement and learning outcomes. There are hundreds of studies out there that show the same!

Adapt: Stay flexible in your coaching methods, adapting to the evolving needs and challenges of each athlete.

      6. Lead by Example (okay this may actually be the hardest)

Model High Expectations: You fit into the high standards of your program as well. What does your attitude, effort, and communication look like at the exceptional level? You are going to miss the mark, just like your athletes do. How do you want them to handle that type of level of ownership? Model that by owning your own mistakes and shortcomings.

Conclusion

I did not mean for it to get so heavy so fast. But wow, this is a life-changing adjustment for you and those you are responsible for.

I made a resource for you to help combat these limiting beliefs by creating clear and attainable standards within your program. And hear me on this…combat is a verb…we bout’ that action boss! Click Here to get an action plan that will help you implement this change immediately. 

I pray you feel the weight of this charge and that you challenge your own beliefs about your athletes, your team, and yourself. I am always in your corner!