Coaches and parents need to reinforce a fundamental principle of sports: Let your play do the talking.
Every athlete and former athlete has done it: trash talk. It’s a part of just about every sport and it takes place at literally all levels.
Why do athletes trash talk?
We’ve all heard the expression, “Get your game face on.” Different players have different methods for doing just that. Some do it by talking. It’s a way of getting in opponents’ heads and winning the mental game.
The big question is how an opponent responds to trash talk. Will he or she allow talk to affect performance? If so, the trash talker has won the battle of wits.
The better path is to just keep playing the game. That’s an important lesson and it needs to be taught by coaches in youth sports.
Ignore the trash talk and just keep playing. Don’t let an opponent get into your head, frustrate you, and take your game away. Always keep your cool!
To combat trash talk, it’s important that sanctions be a part of youth sports. That includes pulling players from games and even suspended them for more serious offenses. Lessons need to be learned!
Coaches and parents need to reinforce a fundamental principle of sports: Let your play do the talking.
