How to Improve in Sports

Improving at a sport is important, and is one of the reasons why people play sports. Constantly working towards growth and achieving it is fulfilling and leads to personal development. Not everyone can be LeBron James, but everyone is capable of maximizing their potential at a sport. To learn how to improve in sports, we recommend abiding by the following principles.

Set Personal Goals

Setting goals to progress in a sport is important. You should be setting both short term and long term goals. The goals should be personal and focused on you. For instance, your goal should never be to be better than anyone else but instead you should be striving to be better than yourself. What these goals look like might be specific to your sport. If you want to improve your conditioning you might make a goal of being able to run a certain amount of kilometres without stopping. If your goal is skill focused then it might be to be able to make a certain amount of shots in a row. Your goals can also be related to your training itself. For instance, you might set a goal of going for a jog at least 3 times a week. Whatever your goals are, make sure that they are attainable as attaining them will give you confidence in yourself and your training. 

Challenge Yourself

If you are afraid to step out of your comfort zone you limit your opportunity for growth. You should always try to challenge yourself whether that be in organized practices, games, or your own training. For example, someone who is afraid to challenge themselves might not play against better competition. They might be unwilling to play against players that are older or play at a more competitive level. Although doing so can be nerve wracking, those with a growth mindset will want to play against better competition knowing that it will help them improve themselves. Challenging yourself can look like many different things. It could mean giving it your all in drills and workouts or it could mean being more conscious of your nutrition. 

Play for Joy Not The Outcome

Some athletes get too caught up in the outcome of sports. They might be too worried about winning or their performance to where it takes away from their joy of the game. This ends up having a negative effect and limits their passion, which in turn limits their growth. You can’t allow outside forces like your peers, parents, competitors or coaches take your joy from the game away. Without joy and passion, your desire to improve at a game will dwindle. To succeed at anything, you have to love what you do more than you love the outcome. 

Focus on Nutrition and Well-being

To improve at a game, it’s important not to neglect your nutrition and overall well being. Getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated is what’s going to give you the energy to train and perform. When it comes to well-being, it’s key not to neglect mental health either. You often hear about how sports are mostly mental, so why would an athlete not pay as close attention to their mental health as they do their physical? The same way you need to be in good physical shape to perform, you also need to be solid mentally in order to stay resilient in the face of obstacles.

Register for TAC Sports

If you want to learn how to improve in sports from expert coaches, then TAC Sports has the right programs for you. We are focused on personal development, having fun, and teaching kids life skills through sports. We have programs in a variety of different sports and activities including soccer, basketball, swimming and more. If you are between the ages of 3-16, click on the button below to find out more about our programming.