Dropout rates are increasing amongst athletes in team sports. While there may be some explanations that are less worrying, like kids wanting to try new hobbies as they go through adolescence, others are more under the control of parents, coaches, and even the athletes themselves.
Spoiler alert: it's impossible. If your goal is to eliminate anxiety or "block out" the bad thoughts, whether they are distracting or negative in nature, you're playing a losing game. This can be hard to accept for many athletes...
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla presents a perfect example of how to deal with criticism that stems from a classic tool in working on your mental game, reframing, when discussing the unfair criticism that Jayson Tatum receives.
