A New Definition of Athlete

Summary 

• We must define an athlete correctly to develop an athlete correctly.
• The traditional definition focuses on physical elements such as strength, stamina, and skill. All very important, but not a complete picture.
• 4 elements that make up an athlete; physical, mental, emotional, and social.
• Each element works synergistically with each other.
• Parents that are aware of these elements can see how they are able to help their kid.

Full Transcript

Athlete. I want to go over that word, athlete, specifically, the definition. If it's been a while since you've looked up the definition, let me save you some time. Merriam Webster's dictionary says, "Athlete: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility or stamina".

Now, I think the definition is actually hurting our kids. Why? Because it's focused on the physical aspect. If you think about it, you see an athlete that runs fast, maybe can lift a lot, has good ball skills, which is great physically, but there's so much more to an athlete than just the physical aspect. You've got, yes, the physical, but you also have the mental, the emotional, and the social aspect, and if you eliminate any of these, you're not quite developing a complete athlete.

 So, if I were to create a definition that I would be happy with, it would be simple, "A person with physical, mental, emotional, and social strength and control to participate in sports, games, or exercises".

 So yes, you need the physical, the strength, power, endurance, all of that, but you also need the mental, the mindset, the focus, and then we've got the emotional. Now, I'm not trying to eliminate any emotions, what I'm really trying to do is harness that energy, harness that power, because what we're doing is we're trying to use it for our benefit. And then the social aspect, which you're working with teammates, you're working with coaches and other supporting staff.

So, when you are parenting your kid to be an athlete, remember, there's more to it than just being physical. You've got the mental, emotional, and the social aspect. So, don't leave developing an athlete up to the coach, alone. They're probably going to focus a lot on the physical part, as well as some mental, and maybe a little bit of emotional, and obviously the social aspect, as working together.

 And if there's anything that you would add to this definition, or you want to share your definition of what an athlete is, please leave it in the comments. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are. And if anything, hit that subscribe button, give this video a thumbs up if you like it, and I will see you soon.