Preparing elite athletes for transition to life after sport should begin in childhood w/ Dr. Andrew Martin
Dr. Andrew Martin, PhD is Scientia Professor and Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of New South Wales specializing in motivation, engagement, achievement, and quantitative research methods. He is also Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford, Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney, Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, Fellow of the (Australian) College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists, and President of the International Association of Applied Psychology’s Division 5 Educational and School Psychology.
I came across Dr. Martin's article published on “The Conversation” Titled : Preparing elite athletes for transition to life after sport should begin in childhood and knew I had to get him on the pod! It is safe to say that he didn't disappoint! This is a must-listen for parents of young athletes, coaches and athletes struggling in their transition to life after sports.
Fun Fact: This episode was recorded in the future. Dr. Martin was recording on June 6th at 9:30 am and I was recording at 7:30pm on June 5th!
Below are a list of talking Dr. Martin and I discuss throughout this episode:
“Long after our physical abilities have faded, our self-worth will still be our core foundation and our core need and core drive.”
How Dr. Martin's lack of motivation in school influenced his interest in educational psychology.
Dr. Martin’s experience of with diminished self worth and loss of identity in the sport of cricket.
How identities are formed early in life.
Why some parts of identity are genetic.
Symptoms athletes show when struggling in their transition to life after sports.
How social media has brought the athlete transition into the spotlight – high profile tragedies
Explanation of Contingent self worth.
“When you succeed you feel worthy, when you fail you feel worthless.”
What parents can do to develop a healthy identity for their children.
How to separate worth from achievement.
The development of fear of failure.
The strategies people use to respond to fear of failure.
Perfectionism.
Self sabotage and it's relation to anxiety.
Disengagement.
“ no one part of our life should contribute more than 1/3 to our self-worth or self-esteem.”
The danger of special treatment – consequences and boundaries.
Does being an elite athlete require and unbalanced identity?
How you can make yourself well rounded without cutting into your training time.
The importance of celebrating the attitude and effort over ability.
The importance of how meaning is attached to failure and success.
“Mistakes are growth opportunities”
The difference between male’s and females in their transition to life after sports.
It’s not too late, tips for establishing a new identity.
The benefits of developing a personal best regime.
