Youth Inc. recommends: Three resources on how to become an elite competitor

Competitiveness is an important quality that is not easily measured. An elite competitor will do whatever it takes to get results whether it is during training, practice or in games. Gaining an edge on the competition and making a few important split-second decisions can be the difference between winning and losing or making a team. 

Learning and developing competitiveness will serve a person well beyond their playing days. People love winners and those willing to go the extra mile. The Youth Inc. team scoured the Internet to find the best resources to help athletes, parents and coaches develop elite competitors. 

Here are three of the best resources we found: 

Raising Elite Competitors Podcast   

What it is: Elite Competitor co-founder Breanne Smedley, known as Coach Bre, has started a podcast called the Elite Competitor. In this episode, Coach Bre focuses on the ups and downs of the youth sports journey and how to boost confidence. 

Why we like it: This podcast focuses on helping and developing young girls, but it’s applicable to any gender or age group. Coach Bre and her guests break everything down into easy-to-understand, actionable strategies, helping developing confidence, mental toughness and competitiveness. 

Sports Psych Tips 

What it is: An excellent X thread from the popular handle Sports Psychology. In addition to competitiveness, the thread talks about mental toughness, perseverance and how to best respond to adversity. 

Why we like it: There are so many excellent nuggets in this thread. A couple of our favorites: “As an athlete, you can’t always control what happens to you in games, but you can always control how you respond!” and “To succeed, you can’t just work hard. You have to work harder than your competition!” 

Expand Your Game   

What it is: Expand Your Game is an Instagram account geared to girls’ soccer players, but the many excellent lessons apply to everything. Short and sweet but powerful, Expand Your Game will inspire you. 

Why we like it: We are suckers for good, inspiring messaging. Expand Your Game features good imagery and presentation to accentuate each message. One of our favorites: “You deserve to experience your own greatness. Don’t put a ceiling on things just because you are uncomfortable.”