That’s right, we said it: help your athlete benefit from making mistakes.

Failure is part of every sport. Every game gives athletes plenty of chances to mess up, and for kids those moments can feel overwhelming. But handled the right way, mistakes can actually build confidence, resilience, and growth.

Failure Often Starts Before the Play
Athletes go into competition with big expectations: I’ll win the game, make no mistakes, hit every ball, score every point.When things don’t go perfectly, frustration sets in and confidence takes a hit. Without confidence, bouncing back gets even harder.

Even the Pros Struggle
During the 2009 World Series, Chase Utley of the Phillies and Mark Teixeira of the Yankees both talked about dealing with failure. Through Game 5, Teixeira was hitting 2-for-19.

“When you’re in a rhythm during the season, you’re going to fail seven out of ten times,” said Teixeira. “When you’re not in a rhythm, you’re going to fail a lot more.”

Even the best players know mistakes are part of the game. Young athletes need to hear this too. They can’t be perfect at the plate, in the field, or on the court every single time.

Learning to Take Risks
Athletes grow when they take risks. Mistakes mean they’re pushing themselves. Skaters fall. Players miss shots. But those moments show progress.

The “doers” on a team, the ones who mess up the most, are often the same athletes driving the game forward. They’re learning, adapting, and making things happen.

How to Learn From Failure
Instead of fearing mistakes, athletes should see them as opportunities:

• Struggled with fastballs? Work on them in practice.

• Missed a defensive play? Focus your reps on footwork and positioning.

Coaches and parents play a big role here. Encourage kids to let mistakes go. Legendary UNC coach Dean Smith taught his players to “Admit it, Quit it, and Forget it.”

A simple “flushing motion” from the sidelines can remind athletes to release mistakes and move on to the next play.

What doesn’t help: punishing, embarrassing, or pulling kids out of games after errors. Instead, support them, keep them in the game, and show them that mistakes are part of learning.

The Big Picture
Mistakes are not the end. They are stepping stones to growth. Help your athlete admit them, let them go, and get ready for the next play. With the right perspective, failure becomes a tool for building resilience, confidence, and long-term success.