When our youth athletes strive to achieve their personal best, victory is won on and off the hill. Encouraging our kids to set individual goals and focus on maximum personal effort benefits both the player and the team – in a variety of ways.
Athletes who come to realize that personal development can be even more rewarding than a win are mastery-focused athletes who build the confidence and initiative needed to succeed – in sports and in life.
Liberty Mutual Insurance Responsible Sports sat down with U.S. Snowboarding star and Bronze Medalist at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games Alex Deibold to get his thoughts on personal bests, personal statistics and personal records.
In our exclusive TAKE 5 interview, Alex, who won his Bronze Medal for the U.S. in Boardercross, told us that he “definitely did not keep track of too many personal records” when he was a youth athlete.
“I was more focused on learning and having fun,” remembered Alex.
Alex said that today, he has a much sharper and clearer focus on personal records and goals.
“I am always trying to improve,” said Alex. “I want to continue to improve my snowboarding and to stand on more World Cup podiums.”
Alex told us that focusing in on these personal bests and goals gets easier as a youth athlete matures and grows into a seasoned veteran – but it’s never too early to start growing.
“When you’re young, it’s hard to see the big picture, but if you can make even small improvements over past personal records, then it’s a step in the right direction,” said Alex.
Alex believes that youth snowboarders and skiers can go a long way in that right direction simply by “focusing on the basics.”
“Even at the most elite level, the basics are something that are always extremely important,” said Alex. “It’s easy to get frustrated when you’re trying to learn something new or improve, but at the end of the day, it’s the little things that can make the difference.”
To read the full TAKE 5 interview with Alex, visit ResponsibleSports.com. And come back next month for another exclusive TAKE 5 interview!
At Liberty Mutual Insurance, we constantly look for ways to celebrate the countless acts of responsibility shown by people every day. We created Responsible Sports, powered by Positive Coaching Alliance, as part of this belief to help ensure that our kids experience the best that sports have to offer in environments that promote and display responsibility. We believe kids can learn valuable life lessons when coaches and parents come together to support winning on and off the hill.
©2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.
