New Year, New Goals: Building a Winning Mindset

Introduction

The start of a new year offers a chance to refocus and reset. At St. Mary Athletics, we encourage our student-athletes to embrace a growth mindset—the belief that with effort, perseverance, and support, they can improve and achieve great things. This mindset aligns perfectly with our faith, reminding us that through Christ, all things are possible. Together, let’s make 2025 a year of progress, teamwork, and success.

What is a Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and skills can be developed through dedication and hard work. It contrasts with a fixed mindset, which assumes that talent or intelligence is static and unchangeable. For student-athletes, a growth mindset is a game-changer because it emphasizes improvement over perfection.

Key characteristics of a growth mindset include:

• Embracing challenges as opportunities to grow.

• Learning from setbacks rather than fearing failure.

• Believing that effort and practice lead to success.

• Staying open to feedback and using it to improve.

Incorporating a growth mindset into athletics teaches resilience, discipline, and humility—all essential traits for both sports and life.

Goal-Setting for Student-Athletes

Encourage athletes to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals. For example:

• Improve my sprint time by 5% by the end of track season.

• Dedicate 30 minutes daily to skill drills.

• Lead my team in at least one prayer before a game.

Appropriate Goals for 4th–8th Graders

Goal-setting is an important step in developing a growth mindset. Here are some age-appropriate goals that challenge student-athletes without overwhelming them:

4th–5th Graders

• Learn a new skill specific to their sport (e.g., proper dribbling in basketball or mastering a sprint start).

• Commit to practicing their sport at least 3–4 times a week outside of team practices.

• Demonstrate good sportsmanship in every game, such as shaking hands with opponents and encouraging teammates.

6th–8th Graders

• Improve a measurable skill, such as reducing their mile time by 30 seconds or increasing free-throw accuracy by 10%.

• Take on a leadership role, such as leading warm-ups or offering encouragement to teammates during tough games.

• Set a spiritual goal, like leading a team prayer or reflecting on how their faith strengthens them as an athlete.

Encourage your student-athlete to write their goals down and track their progress. Small victories along the way can boost confidence and motivation.

For Parents: How Can You Support Your Student-Athlete?

Parents play a vital role in helping student-athletes achieve their goals. This month, we challenge parents to have intentional conversations with their students. Ask questions like:

• “What are your goals this year, and how can I support you in reaching them?”

• “What do you feel you need more of—encouragement, practice time, or maybe just a listening ear?”

• “What’s something you’d like to improve on this season, and how can we work on it together?”

These conversations open the door for support and collaboration while teaching athletes how to identify and express their needs.

Tips for Parents:

1. Encourage Reflection: Guide your student-athlete in thinking about past successes and areas for .

2. Model Perseverance: Share examples from your own life when hard work helped you achieve a goal.

3. Celebrate Effort: Acknowledge progress and effort, even if goals aren’t immediately met.

4. Pray Together: Ask God for guidance, strength, and humility in their journey as an athlete.

Faith-Based Goal Setting

As we encourage goal-setting, remind your student-athlete to invite God into their process. Teach them to pray for strength when facing challenges, patience when progress feels slow, and gratitude for the ability to grow and learn. Faith is a powerful motivator, reminding us to stay humble in victory and resilient in defeat.

Call to Action

Let’s make 2025 the year we all grow together—athletes, parents, and coaches alike. Share your student-athlete’s goals with us at the next practice or team meeting, or tag us on social media with their goals and progress. Together, we can build a community of accountability and encouragement that reflects the heart of St. Mary Athletics.

Quote for Inspiration:

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31