by Nina Calcote
Lots of people, especially younger people, are pushed away from doing sports because they don’t feel supported by those around them. There are ways to support yourself and stick to your sport.
Start with small goals
Having a big goal like, “Try out for the soccer team.” or “Become good enough for the professional league.” can be overwhelming. Especially when you don’t have a team of friends and family cheering you on. Instead of pushing yourself to reach these big goals, try breaking them down into smaller goals.
If you want to try out for the soccer team, but are scared you might not be good enough, start with a goal of playing soccer everyday. This doesn’t have to look like you and a bunch of people running around, actually playing a full game. It could simply be you kicking the ball around alone in your yard or room. Practicing kicks or cool tricks with the ball, to keep yourself prepared to play. You could also set the goal of speaking to the coach before try outs. Talking to someone who is interested in the sport could help you pump yourself up. It could also help you feel more confident at the try out because you might find that the coach isn’t as scary as you originally thought. It also has the added benefit of showing the coach that you are truly interested in the sport and are serious about joining the team.
Find someone to look up to.
Having someone who is in your sport that you can compare yourself to in a healthy way is a great way to stay motivated. For instance if your sport was basketball, you might use Caitlin Clark as an example to look up to. Remind yourself that she also had to work hard to get to where she is now. You may even look up to your coach, and try asking them for their story on how they got to where they are now. Having someone to look up to can give you a goal to achieve, and help tie that goal to a real person with real struggles which can help you feel better about your own struggles.
Keep a journal/write out motivational quotes.
Putting up motivational quotes around your room is a great idea to lift your spirits on a daily basis, even if you aren’t participating in any sports. To help keep yourself motivated in your sport specifically, you could write quotes about your sport. Things like “Every missed shot is motivation to keep trying.”, “Just Do It.”, or “Play for the you that fell in love with the game.” You could keep these quotes in your sports bag, or with your gear.
You could also keep a journal to write about your sport. It could give you a place to look at past goals and see how far you’ve come. Another added benefit of journaling is it’s a great place to hype yourself up. Most people spend so much time tearing themselves down, in their heads and out loud to others; keeping a journal where you write your accomplishments could be a great way to remind yourself of how good you are at your sport. These small reminders will help support you through good and bad times.
Look for outside support.
You could look for support online, even if it’s not direct. There are many forums and spaces online where people post about their struggles, accomplishments, and goals in their sports. They are posting to a community that will respond with advice and encouragement to keep going forward.
You could reach out in these forums or just read similar stories which could help push you forward. It could be a sense of support that you’ve been looking for and the motivation you need to keep pushing forward to your goals.
Seek new friendships with people who have similar goals/interests.
Try to make connections with people who play your sport. If you can make a friend who is equally motivated in the sport then the two of you can support each other. You can use this new friend to hold yourself accountable and brainstorm new goals to push yourself towards. Support from a friend who understands your sport and goals will bring a desired end result much faster than working alone.
You could make friends at tryouts or at public playing fields. You could also look at people already on the team or playing the sport and go to them for advice. They could become a mentor of sorts that is closer to your level. Creating a support system for yourself when the people in your life don’t support you is equally as important as learning to become your own biggest supporter.
