It is tempting for many a young athlete to rely on their coaches and/or their parents for the answers and solutions to all their challenges and problems. The young athlete is, by definition, young and inexperienced and unqualified by comparison, right? Wrong! Never let youth stand in the way of self-reliance and the willingness to solve a problem or overcome a challenge.
The young athlete who relies on authority figures to the detriment of his own ability is doomed to always play a subservient, unfulfilled and unsatisfied role. He who relies on others to the exclusion of himself will rarely, if ever, be a champion. After all, who steps onto the field of competition? Is it the parent? Is it the coach? Or is it the young athlete, who therefore must learn to make split-second decisions in the heat of competition if he wants to prevail?
Even better, the best young athlete involves his teammates in the process of finding a solution, and a group dynamic emerges. Group problem-solving is an absolute, essential life skill and the best advice from a coach to his team may be "you figure it out." Stop relying on others - involve them, certainly, and draw upon their wisdom, when applicable. And in a game, move beyond dependency, solve the problem, overcome the obstacle, and take a critical, necessary step toward self-reliance.
Don't count on others to lead you to the promised land. Take charge, and lead them there!
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