Revisiting Resilience...

I'm finally getting back to the resilience topic. Better late than never...(as the saying goes).

Given the fact that it has taken me over a month to write this post, I'm certain resilience is an important topic. And I am a good example. My intention to write this post weeks ago were good, but life got in my way--Thanksgiving, work projects, youth sports games...blah, blah, blah.

At last, I stepped back and looked at my process. Without resilience, I might have shut my blog down and disappeared. Instead, I determined that writing in the morning before my day begins might solve my problem. Even if I didn't write the entire post in one day, at least it would be a step in the right direction...progress...words are on the screen.

Resilience means bouncing back, persevering, not letting negative outcomes or results or lack of progress get you down. Did Michael Jordan stop playing basketball when he was cut from his High School basketball team? No. He clearly moved forward and became one of the best professional basketball players in the world.

My point here is that you should help your child persevere when he or she loves a sport. With or without talent, he or she can always improve and become a better player. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to help her learn or even to step back in order to progress forward.

For the last several years my son Cameron was quite a bit smaller than other players in his age group. Cameron had to work hard to earn a spot on a high-level hockey team. At last he grew this summer and is now average size. And he now stands out as a strong, skilled player. Last year you would have never noticed him on the ice. He blended in and barely held his own.

I am thankful Cameron kept trying out for a high-level hockey team year after year and kept working hard. He is now where he wants to be and hopes to go beyond. We are yet again looking at the process and deciding what steps he can take to progress even further.

Circumstances, players, coaches, teams, etc. are forever changing. Your child can adapt. You can adapt. You can learn from good experiences and learn from bad experiences, as well. Just help your child to continue moving forward. Embrace resilience.

I would love to hear your stories on how your child athlete has remained resilient resulting in a positive outcome. Please post your comments...