What does it take to own your mistakes? To stand up and say you were wrong, you made a bad play, or you were selfish on your team and that it caused a critical error? On the surface, it takes courage, a lot of courage. But it takes a huge amount of confidence as well to accept your faults and own them as your own.
Owning your mistakes makes you vulnerable and you may worry about being viewed as weak. You have to ask yourself what it’s worth, so here’s some food for thought.
Everyone makes mistakes; we are human. If we didn’t we’d be at the top of our games and making infinite amounts of money. But owning them is sometimes difficult to do. Instead of looking at the downside of owning mistakes, let’s stay positive and think of the good that comes out of it.
When someone other than you owns up to a mistake they’ve made, there is an instant feeling of respect. If it was a teammate, you may feel like they took one for the team. For that, you feel relief. You may even feel as though that was tough, and you respect their bravery. Moreso, you’re going to feel like moving forward you can really trust them. We know how important trust is for building team cohesion and ultimately achieving success.
If someone has shown their vulnerability by owning up to a mistake, you may also connect with them more. You may feel like you’ve made a similar mistake and you would want to be accepted for that. You instantly feel like you’re on a level playing field, and again, if this is a teammate, the trust and respect moving forward will continue to strengthen the team morale and performance. You’re going to feel that they’ve demonstrated understanding and that they’d be unlikely to make the same mistake again. So when it comes to choosing whether or not to pass to them, you’ll trust that they can make the right call in the future.
What about if an opponent shares that they’ve made a mistake? They made an illegal play, they correct an official who didn’t see the foul made, or stops play to admit a fault? Initially there is probably a feeling of triumph, that you’re benefiting from their mistake and that you’ve got the upper hand. However, it goes deeper than that. They’ve owned that mistake for the good of the game, and their demonstration of sportsmanship will hopefully rub off on to you. You appreciate, trust, and respect their honesty, and will probably be more likely to take the same ownership in the future.
All in all, admitting fault does not imply that you’re weak or unable. In fact, it shows sportsmanship, dedication, and coachability. It also teaches those watching the honest way to play the game. They see the honesty and the strength it took you to admit your mistake, and both of you grow because of that. In addition, the pride and confidence you’ll feel afterwards will help you to perform with a sense of passion that will empower you to excel to the top.
So next time you make a mistake, big or small, take a breath and ask yourself what the right call is. Then take another breath, find that inner courage, and speak up. Do it for you, for your team, and for your sport. Own the mistake and the sense of pride you’ll get from taking the higher road. When others do them same, support them through it and help them excel past it.
Courtney Marchesin, MA, sport psychology consultant, is the mental skills coach for the Alberta Sport Development Centre’s athlete enhancement program. She can be contacted at courtneymarchesin@gmail.com.
