PLAYING WITHOUT FEAR

Read an interesting article recently about why some high school football players are so successful in basketball – even though few have well-developed basketball skills.  The over-all thought was that they played with an aggressive, football-like mentality.

High school success depends less on skill and more on athleticism and attitude or mindset, and oftentimes football players have the aggressive mindset that leads to high school success.  Coaches often favor the aggressive player regardless of success, often violating John Wooden’s popular phrase, “Don’t mistake activity with achievement.”

What can a non-football player learn from the football players?  First, from a playing time perspective, it is important to understand the different things that the coach values. Often, he values different things than those that he says that he values.  Actions speak louder than words.  What things do the players who play the most bring to the team?  How do they play?  Does the coach play the smart players who do not turn over the ball or the aggressive players who make things happen – good or bad?  Does he prefer the skilled players or the stronger, more athletic players?

Second, football players playing basketball often play with a lack of fear.  They are not 100% invested in basketball, so they do not fear failure.  Many players develop a fear of failure.  The Achievement Goal Theory states that people are motivated by one of two things: (1) the desire for success or (2) the fear of failure.  Players motivated by a desire for success have a better opportunity to play well because they focus on the positive result rather than trying to avoid a negative result.

When a player shoots, he can make the shot or miss it.  A player motivated by a fear of failure hopes that he does not miss the shot; a player motivated by a desire for success wants to make the shot.  The positive approach leads to better performance because the player focuses on his goal (making the shot).

Players motivated by the desire to succeed often play more aggressively because they want to make plays. Their goal is to make something happen.  Players motivated by the fear of failure often try to avoid mistakes.  However, by avoiding mistakes, they are less likely to make positive plays.  2009 Hall of Fame inductee John Stockton is the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and turnovers; future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre is the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown passes and interceptions.

Sure, Favre and Stockton would probably like a redo on some of their bad passes.  However, they also know that they never would have made all the positive plays without risking failure. Rather than play it safe, they went for it, which resulted in the good and the bad.  Fortunately for them, they had far more success than failure, but even when they made a mistake, they did not allow it to affect their approach. They maintained a positive approach.

It is important for players to develop this approach.  If a player is afraid to shoot because she wants to avoid a mistake, can she ever really become a good shooter?  

4:13