Did you know that you can do less and be more at the same time? Let us show you how simple sports relaxation can make you a better athlete.
Being an athlete at a young age can be very demanding. You get up for school early in the morning; go through your classes for 6 hours and go to training for another 3.
Once you get back home, you realize you need to get that history paper due tomorrow finished barely leaving you any time for that algebra homework.
With all that going on, on an almost daily basis you might find it hard to find time for relaxation.
How Too Much Pressure Hurts Young Athletes
“As athletes understand especially well, the greater the performance demand, the greater the need for renewal. When we’re under pressure, however, most of us experience the opposite impulse: to push harder rather than rest.” writes Tony Schwartz for The New York Times.
The pressure to excel can come from parents, teachers, and coaches. Surely, most of them just want to see you succeed at everything you do. But sometimes they get ahead of themselves and push too hard and forget that you also need time for relaxation.
Yes, pressure does sometimes give you that extra boost you need to perform better at sports. But it can also drain your energy and self-confidence. You start feeling tired of school, your sport, and your lifestyle. Enjoying your activities seems harder and harder to do with each passing day.
Finland’s Education System In Focus
In Finland, the average student takes only one standardized test when they turn 16. Their New York counterparts would have taken 10 before they even reach high school.
Also, homework is kept at a minimum for Finnish students until they are well into their teens, while an average 5th grader from the U.S. gets about 50 minutes of homework every day.
PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) evaluates education systems worldwide by assessing the performance of 15-year-olds in the subjects of math, reading, and science every 3 years.
Finland has consistently ranked among top nations in PISA while the U.S., as of 2010, ranked at 14th in reading, 17th in science, and 25th in math.
Taking into consideration the fact cultural differences exist, education systems worldwide can still learn a thing or two from Finland; the results speak for themselves.
Taking It Easy: Your Key To Success
Properly managing your schedule to include relaxation can greatly benefit your overall performance. This will give you time to rest and recover so you have the energy to take on more challenges.
So cozy up and take a well-deserved break, it might just give you the power to become a better athlete than you ever imagined.
Wendy Lynne is the Director of Mental Toughness Academy. The Academy’s online Mental Toughness Training helps kids build confidence, focus, determination and the ability to bounce back from adversity – what we call Mental Toughness.
Her passion is helping kids, their parents and coaches transform their thinking so they lead happier, healthier and more successful lives.
Wendy Lynne is the Director of Mental Toughness Academy. She oversees the marketing, social media and JV partnerships for the Mental Toughness Training for Youth Athletes. She is in the process of developing new mental training products for soccer, hockey, softball and basketball players and coaches.
She has over 30 years experience in marketing and sales and uses her knowledge to help kids, their parents and coaches transform their thinking so they lead happier, healthier and more successful lives.