Keeping Skaters Motivated

Not an easy task... Every child is different and will respond to different movivators at different times in their childhood.  While the ultimate goal for parents should be to stimulate self motivation, you have a role to play.  Motivating parents are often an important part of their child's success story.

Here are some tips:
- Help instill and maintain enthusiasm.
- Provide opportunities for your child to meet with success
- Choose a coach who is positive
- Be positive yourself, avoid finding faults.
 - Give praise when due.  Build their confidence and self esteem
- Encourage persistent effort and believe that your child is capable.
- Foster self responsibility and discourage excuses
- Remind your child that they skate because he or she want to
- Encourage the setting of goals, in consultation with the coach.  Encourage amply mini goals along the way and that they are attainable with effort.
- Define winning in terms other than just a passed test or a medal (eg. "Did you give it your best effort?", "Did you miss any training sessions?", "Did you have fun?", "Did you land the double toe loop?", "Did you handle vicotory or defeat graciously?"
- Don't use fear (eg. "I'll take you out of skating if you don't do well") or extrinsic motivators (eg, money, material things) to motivate.  They take away the focus on trying their hardest and having fun.   Research also tells us that such motivators might only work for the short term.
- Don't nag, badger or use sarcasm.
- A "push" may sometimes by necessary, particularly during "dry" periods (eg. "I know things may not be going as well as you would like, but give it 3 to 4 more weeks or until the end of the season before making any decision").
- Negotiation can be helpful (eg, "I am not going to tell you what to do this evening, but you are not going to watch more that one hour of TV").
- Encourage and support the coach who schedules fun on-ice activities.
- Be a good role model
- Let them experiment and do "their own thing" on the ice from time to tiem.  Experimentsing, trying different things and routines is not always wasteful.  Creativity is part of skating.
 
 

NEXT