Fear Of Failure In Sports
In this week’s sports psychology podcast, mental game of sports expert, Dr. Patrick Cohn interviews Jim Harshaw. Failure, struggle and setbacks are not only an inevitable part of life but a necessary step on the path to success.
Jim Harshaw has learned many life lessons on the wrestling mat. Having won three ACC Championships for the University of Virginia, trained at the Olympic Training Center and competed overseas for Team USA he has experienced significant triumph and devastating defeat. He shares those powerful lessons of failure, struggle and setback to empower his audiences to overcome their own challenges and achieve success despite their inevitable failures.
COHN: “I talk a lot about fear of failure with athletes. I think people want to be successful so much, they want to reach their dreams so much, they become obsessed with the outcome and with winning. What’s interesting about that, is that those type of athletes, because they are so obsessed with winning, they try to avoid failure, so it actually becomes counterproductive. Did you find that in your athletic career?”
HARSHAW: “No question. That was my life, up until senior year, that fear of failure. I never performed to my peak capability, which is why I didn’t perform to my peak capability in high school. I was a good high school wrestler, but I wasn’t a great high school wrestler. I really could have been (a great wrestler) had I taken that burden off my shoulder, of the outcome. And what I tell kids now is, you can’t control whether you win or lose. You control the process.”
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Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Fear of Failure in Perfectionist Athletes
- Turning Athletic Failure Into Growth and Learning
- How To Help Young Athletes With Fear of Failure – Video
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