Is Perfectionism A Positive Quality To Have In Sports?
Do you have an athlete that is a perfectionist? Do you think this is a good quality that helps them succeed in sports?
In this week’s sports psychology podcast, mental game of sports expert, Dr. Patrick Cohn, answers a question from Sal, who believes that perfectionism is a positive quality in young athletes.
“I agree that coaches love perfectionists because they will hang on every word the coach says, they will come to practice early, they’ll stay late and do extra reps. They will go and do extra training on their own outside of the regular practice sessions. There are definitely some positive characteristics of perfectionists. They have a very good work ethic and it does get them to a high level of success early on. If you work hard, you’re disciplined, you’re focused on your goals, you have a good work ethic, absolutely, those are the positive qualities of perfectionist. And so from that perspective you can say being a perfectionist is a good quality.
However, getting that last 30% of the way to your talent as a perfectionist will hold you back big time. Our number one student, our number one client is the perfectionist. Why? Because they work hard, they are very dedicated and they look like stars in practice. When they go to competition, they simply choke, have a lot of anxiety and fear of failure.”
Listen to the podcast below to hear what Dr. Cohn has to say about young athletes and perfectionism.
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Related Sports Psychology Articles
- All or None Thinking: One Trap For Perfectionists – Video
- Fear of Failure in Perfectionist Athletes
- Perfectionist Athletes Who Mentally Lose Control
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