21. Building character in the agony of defeat

“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing,” Coach Vince Lombardi said. But that is not true when it comes to youth sports. Whether it is team sports or individual, those failures along the way help shape us. With the right coaches and parenting, those moments of struggle and loss can really build character. As a parent, we must avoid the “parent trap” where we live out our goals through our children. Instead we must focus on the process over the outcome. And that can be hard, especially when dealing with adolescents. On today’s podcast Roger and Kelly welcome Scott Desmond into the studio to discuss the psychology of youth sports.