The Power of Mental Models - Essay Example

Prof’s The Power of Mental Models Positive Coaching is educating and encouraging positive attitudes and behavior in all athletic endeavors by coaches, parents, administrators, media, and players. The Double-Goal Coach book of Jim Thompson provides the framework for coaches and parents to transform youth sports so sports can transform youth, allowing young athletes to enjoy sports while learning valuable life lessons. The Power of Mental Models is a salient topic mentioned in the book pointing out that mental model of coaching considering winning on the scoreboard to be the only goal blinds many well-meaning individuals to the incredible opportunities to use sports to build character and teach life lessons to young athletes. Thus, this paper focuses on the power of mental models in positive coaching particularly on the roles of the coach and parents on the child’s endeavors in sports. Mental models determine how we think and how we act and even determine what we see (Thompson, 3). Mental Models are established by past events, experiences, media and other messages we receive, and serve going forward as filters through which we observe, interpret and respond to the world. They shape what we see and hear, what we feel and what we do. The challenge with mental models is that they limit our ways of thinking and behaving. The good news, however, is that they have the potential to evolve through ongoing learning and interaction with new individuals and environments. Becoming aware of our mental models, which are often invisible, is the first step to effectively evolving them - and therefore, to personal growth. Utilization of mental models in coaching is very important because it shapes the overall personality of the players. Players should be oriented about mental models right from the start of the coaching session and be applied all through the entire coaching period. Once the players had already developed the positive attitude in sports, then these will already be engraved in their personality and be carried on in their entire life. Players with the ability to use mental models in sports are less anxious and never lose because all games are positively viewed as learning experiences. The mental model concept is the core principle for the foundation of the so-called Positive Coaching that reshapes the traditional view of goal in sports as solely a win-at-all-cost into a broader perspective including winning as the primary goal and learning life lessons as the secondary, but more important goal. Positive coaching helps players develop positive character traits so they can be successful in life. Positive Coach Mental Model constitutes three elements and these are: (1) Redefining "Winner", (2) Filling the Emotional Tank, and (3) Honoring the Game. Conversations are important in bringing about a change in the attitudes and behaviors of coaches, athletes and the entire culture of youth sports. In redefining what a “winner” means using the mental model principle, it focuses on winning through mastery rather than a scoreboard orientation. Winners are people who make maximum effort, continue to learn and improve, and refuse to let mistakes (or fear of making mistakes) stop them. This is called the Mastery Orientation. The Tree of Mastery is an ELM Tree where ELM stands for Effort, Learning, and Mistakes rebounding. If the athletes keep these things in mind, they will develop habits that will serve them well throughout their lives. Our society tends to put scoreboard results ahead of everything. The positive coach care about the scoreboard, but he cares even more deeply about instilling a Mastery approach in their athletes, which will help them win throughout their lives. He sees victory as a by-product of the pursuit of excellence. He focuses on effort rather than outcome and on learning rather than comparison to others. He recognizes that mistakes are an important and inevitable part of learning and fosters an environment in which players dont fear making mistakes. While not ignoring the teaching opportunities that mistakes present, he teaches players that a key to success is how one responds to mistakes. He sets standards of continuous improvement for self and players. He encourages his players, whatever their level of ability, to strive to become the best players, and people, they can be. He teaches players that a winner is someone who makes maximum effort, continues to learn and improve, and doesnt let mistakes (or fear of mistakes) stop him or her. The parents’ role in the Tree of Mastery Orientation to is to provide follow-up guidance to their children by: telling the child that it is just okay to make a mistake; letting the child know and feel that his/her efforts of trying harder are appreciated even if unsuccessful; focusing on the child’s feelings about how the game was by allowing the child to verbalize it rather than telling the child about what you think of the game; allowing the coach to criticize the child; and letting the child know that you are proud of him/her regardless of the outcome of the game. Research shows that when coaches and parents focus solely on the scoreboard, players anxiety increases. Athletes spend more of their precious emotional energy worrying about whether they will lose. Higher anxiety causes them to make more mistakes because they play tentatively and timidly. With mental model of positive coaching this helps athletes to better enjoy their sports experience, reduces anxiety, increases self-confidence (self-efficacy), keeps them playing longer and can improve their performance. The second element of mental models in positive coaching is the Filling of Emotional Tanks of the players. This may sound like a jargon but this is very useful and important in coaching. Filling the emotional tank is the concept of providing emotional strength to the players. Usually happening in sports, the team playing in its home court (in basketball for instance) has greater percentage of winning because of the emotional support a team receives when it plays in front of its own fans. Like gas tanks in cars, players have emotional tanks that need to be filled to do their best. Players with full emotional tanks are more coachable and likely to listen and respond without resistance, more optimistic, better able to handle adversity. A Positive Coach compliments, praise, and positive recognition fill emotional tanks. He understands the importance of giving truthful and specific feedback and resists the temptation to give praise that is not warranted. When correction is necessary, a Positive Coach communicates criticism to players in ways that dont undermine their sense of self-worth. Educational research indicates a “Magic Ratio” of 5:1, five praises to one criticism, which fosters the ideal learning environment. Coaches yelling at young athletes cannot be beneficial for their long-term development. There is superiority of motivation through positive reinforcement compared to the "nasty-snarly" style of coaching that is too often associated with youth sports. Parents, on the other hand, can fill the child’s emotional tank through encouraging the child regardless of what happens in the game. Giving advice, especially during after a tough game, should be avoided as much as possible for this can seem like criticism which drains the child’s tank. When the child made a mistake, tell him/her not to worry because there will always be a chance to do better on the next game. Acknowledgment of feelings of loses during tough games are even more helpful to provide consolation for the child. Through direct and indirect communications coaches and parents provide feedback information that will influence a childs self-esteem. The third element of mental models in positive coaching is Honoring the Game. Honoring the game gets to the ROOTS of positive play, where ROOTS stands for respect for Rule, Opponents, Officials, Teammates, and Self. In honoring the game, the coach teaches his players to love the sport and upholds the spirit, as well as the letter, of its rules. He respects opponents, recognizing that a worthy opponent will push his athletes to do their best. He understands the important role that officials play and shows them respect, even when he disagrees with their calls. He encourages players to make a commitment to each other, and to encourage one another on and off the field. He values the rich tradition of his sport and feels privileged to participate. A Positive Coach demonstrates integrity and would rather lose than win by dishonoring the game. The Positive Coach Mental Model emphasizes "Honoring the Game" because coaches can be powerful influences on their players, not only in terms of their on-field behavior, but also for the values they take away from their sports experience into every aspect of their lives. When talking about character development in youth sports, "good sportsmanship" is often held up as the ideal. The parents’ role in the aspect of honoring the game is to discuss with the child all the elements of ROOTS. Be a role model of honoring the game by attending to the child’s game. Cheer both teams when good plays are made. If an officiating mistake was felt has been made, just be silent. Use this as an opportunity to think about how difficult it is to officiate a game perfectly. It is important in stressful situations in a game for coaches, players and parents to have and practice self-control routine. Because todays youth sports environment can so often be volatile, and even violent, it is important to prevent any outraged coach, player or parent from boiling over. Mental models are indeed important in positive coaching because this shapes our behaviors and attitudes not just in sports, but also in our daily way of living. As we all experience life’s challenges, mental models are not just beneficial to sports-minded individuals but generally to everybody. For parents, most especially those having children with potentials to become an athlete, mental models can already be taught at the early development stage of the child. Coaches, on the other hand, should strive to become positive or responsible coaches because they are among the most influential adults in the lives of youth athletes. In conjunction with parents and schools, coaches are the key to developing character to the children. Children who are coached responsibly and positively in sports achieve better grades, are less likely to engage in dangerous behavior, live longer and healthier lives due to improved fitness they carry forward from youth sports. Sports provide the ideal ‘virtual classroom’ for teaching life lessons, if coaches prepare themselves to become Responsible or Positive Coaches. Work Cited Thompson, Jim. The Double-Goal Coach. New York. HarperCollins Books. 2003. Read More