POSITIVE COACHING SCOTLAND UNDERSTANDING MINDSET Mindsets are a young person’s beliefs about themselves and the qualities that they think they have – this relates to areas such as sporting ability or intelligence.   Mindsets are the young person’s beliefs on how to improve these qualities – are they simply fixed traits, carved in stone and that’s that? Or are they things that can developed throughout a young person’s life? People with a fixed mindset believe that their traits are set in stone – they are born that way and can do nothing to improve their qualities. They have a certain amount of brain power and talent and nothing can change that. If they are smart or talented then great, however if they aren’t, they are destined for mediocrity. However, people with a growth mindset see their qualities as things that can be developed through practice, dedication and effort. In some cases, they may be smart or talented, but that’s just the starting point. They understand that developing their qualities takes time, no one has ever accomplished great things without years of dedication, practice and learning.

POSITIVE COACHING SCOTLAND UNDERSTANDING MINDSET When young people believe that their levels of ability are limited (fixed mindset) this undermines their resolve, resilience and learning. But when they have a growth mindset and believe that their abilities can be developed, young people show perseverance and willingness to learn - what’s more, they achieve remarkable results even in the face of hardship and difficulties. FIXED VS GROWTH MINDSET No one’s mindset is totally of one type or the other. There may be few extreme cases but most people lie somewhere in between both. Moreover, mindsets do not always remain constant. People show different mindsets in different situations, depending on how they formed a belief about their abilities. Nevertheless, the first step in changing from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset is to recognise fixed mindset behaviours. Fixed mindsets don’t come with a label attached however they tend to reveal themselves when young people are attempting something they find difficult. These are the moments that then the young person suddenly starts to feel board, tired, anxious, uncomfortable or even hungry, and want to stop trying. Such feelings may have a valid source, but rather than give in to them, coaches can use this as an opportunity question why the young player wants to stop and establish if their mindset is preventing them from progressing further.

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