Like most coaches, I’m constantly looking for ways to give my teams and players an advantage.  I just re-read an amazing book by Carol Dweck called “Mindset “and I wanted to share a key concept from the book with you as I know it will help players, parents and coaches alike to take their mental game to the next level.

In “Mindset”, the author focuses on the difference between a FIXED mindset and a GROWTH mindset.  In a nutshell, players with a fixed mindset think that every game they play has to be mistake-free.  In their minds, anything less than perfection is unacceptable.  They do not look at mistakes as an opportunity to learn, they look at them as a sign of weakness.

Quite often these players have a lot of natural talent and haven’t had to work too hard to get where they are in terms of ability.  Coaches and teammates often tell them how good they are.  And while some of these players may be cocky, it’s not always the case.  Whether they are cocky or not on the outside, they are extremely hard on themselves with their own self-talk.

When you have a fixed mindset and everyone tells you how good you are, making mistakes means that either everyone is lying to you or you really are bad.

When these players are told they need to work on something, they see it as a sign of weakness and they get down on themselves. These are players who get frustrated very easily and seem to believe that talent is a fixed thing – you either have it or you don’t.

These players can be extremely successful – but only up to a point.  As they
reach higher and higher levels, and the chance of making mistakes goes up and up, they tend to question themselves and their abilities more and more.

On the other hand, players with a GROWTH mindset don’t see mistakes as a
sign of weakness or a lack of ability.  They see it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Typically, these players aren’t “naturals” and have already had to fight and claw to get to the level they are at now.  These players definitely believe in the quote – “you don’t always get what you wish for, you get what you work for”.

These players are always looking for ways to get better – no matter whether
they are having a lot of success or they are struggling.  Their physical performance may change, but their mental approach always stays the same.  These players always want to be better and are willing to do the work needed to get to the next level.

The interesting thing is that players with a growth mindset can be just as hard on themselves as those with the fixed mindset are – the difference is how they choose to react to the challenges in front of them.  The fixed mindset players try to hide their weaknesses while the growth mindset  players work diligently to improve them.

As a coach, it is critical to know which players on your team have a fixed mindset and who has a growth mindset.  Players aren’t always 100% one or the other, but most teams have at least one or more players who fall into the fixed mindset category. These are the players that we must reach out to and help them understand and hopefully adopt more of a growth mindset.  After all, hockey is a game of mistakes, and if these fixed mindset players can’t react well after making a mistake, it will have a negative effect on their play as well as that of the team.

Every time I re-read this book, I’m reminder to speak to my players a little differently. The truth is, we can all benefit from adopting more of a growth mindset, especially when the playoffs and tryouts approach and everyone becomes so laser-focused on performance outcomes.  Growth mindset players, coaches and teams honor the process – they know that lasting success takes a lot of work and embrace that opportunity to learn from their mistakes instead of making excuses or laying blame.

Our mental TV is fully under our own control. Only you can change the channel from a fixed to growth mindset. It’s not always easy to do, but it is the key to your success on and off the ice.

Feel free to share this message with any coaches, players or teammates
that you think will benefit from the information.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

PS – Check out our upcoming camp schedule for Summer by clicking on the link below:

https://totalfemalehockey.com/camps/

We hope to see you there!

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director & Founder, Total Female Hockey