Belief and Interest Eat Disbelief for Breakfast: 3 Powerful Ways to Help Kids Overcome Adversity in Sports and Life

Every child in sports will, at some point, face a moment where they feel like they’re not good enough. Maybe it’s because of a coach’s harsh words, a tough game, or the frustration of not mastering a skill as quickly as they’d like.

But what happens next? Do they quit? Do they lose confidence? Or do they push through and become stronger?

Recently, I heard a story from a 40-year-old coach about how, at 8 years old, he almost quit baseball because his coach made him feel like he sucked at the sport. But instead of quitting, he went on to have an amazing youth sports experience—and eventually became a great coach himself.

The difference? His dad’s response.

His father did three things that helped him reclaim his confidence and continue his journey. These same principles can help any young athlete (or anyone, really) navigate adversity and build long-term resilience:

1. Reignite Interest: The Power of Passion and Curiosity

In her book Grit, Dr. Angela Duckworth identifies interest as a key component of perseverance. It makes sense—when we have a deep interest in something, we’re naturally curious, intrinsically motivated, and willing to stick with it through tough moments.

More importantly, curiosity is a key to overcoming hard moments. It activates learning centers in our brain, shifting us away from fear and self-protection.

Think about it: When humans faced real threats in ancient times—like a lion in the bushes—the fear response was essential for survival. But in sports, there’s no lion. The fear response (which can make a child shut down or quit) doesn’t serve them here. What does? Curiosity.

Curiosity keeps the brain in exploration mode instead of defense mode. When an athlete is deeply interested in something, they’re more likely to stay engaged, experiment, and persist through struggles rather than retreat in fear.

What You Can Do:

Ask questions that help young athletes discover their true interests—whether in sports or in life. You’re not just helping them pick a sport; you’re helping them understand what makes them tick.

Here are some ways to do this:

• Ask, What do you love most about playing this sport?

• Explore deeper: Do you love the physicality? The strategy? The skill mastery?

• Find patterns: Do you enjoy solving problems under pressure? Do you love technical skills like hitting a baseball just right?

By guiding a child to recognize what excites them, you give them a north star—something to return to when times get tough. And that internal spark is far stronger than any external motivation.

2. Show Them Improvement Is Possible

One of the biggest reasons kids quit sports—or any challenge—is because they don’t believe they can improve.

But when they see themselves getting better, it shifts their entire perspective. They don’t just believe in improvement—they start to believe in their ability to improve.

Dr. Duckworth calls this the power of effort-driven achievement—when a child learns firsthand that sticking with something leads to real progress, it rewires their brain to embrace hard work rather than avoid it.

What You Can Do:

Instead of just telling a child, "You can improve," show them a process for improvement.

1. Ask: What’s a skill you want to get better at?

2. Break it down: Identify external cues that tell them if they’re doing it right. If they want to hit a baseball harder, focus on things like:

   • Swing speed

   • Contact location

   • Ball trajectory

3. Create development games: Turn the skill into a game where they track progress.

4. Gamify it: Let them compete against themselves to see small wins build up over time.

   
   

When athletes can measure their progress in real time, they start to believe in their own ability to overcome hard things. And that belief extends far beyond sports—it becomes a lifelong skill.

3. The Power of Knowing Someone Believes in You

One of the most powerful forces in human development—and human performance—is knowing that someone you respect believes in you.

When a coach, parent, or mentor expresses genuine belief in an athlete, something profound happens:

• The athlete raises their own expectations of what they can achieve.

• They don’t just work harder for the coach—they work harder because they start to believe in themselves.

• The fear of failure diminishes, because they know someone sees potential in them.

This isn’t about empty praise. It’s about instilling a belief that growth is possible.

What You Can Do:

Say simple but powerful phrases that reinforce the belief in future improvement:

✅ "I believe in you."

✅ "If you stick with it, I know you’ll get there."

✅ "You're making progress—I can see it in [specific skill]."

Notice that it’s not just, "You can do this." Because right now, they might not be able to. But if they stick with it? They will.

This distinction matters. It plants the idea in their mind that success is inevitable with effort—which reduces fear and increases confidence.

And here’s the best part: When they hear it enough times, they start saying it to themselves.

The Takeaway: Belief and Interest Eat Disbelief for Breakfast

This 40-year-old coach almost quit baseball at 8 years old because of a bad coaching experience.

But his dad’s response—reigniting interest, showing him improvement, and believing in him—changed the entire trajectory of his life.

Instead of quitting, he found his confidence and went on to have an incredible youth sports experience. And now, decades later, he’s passing that belief onto other kids.

The next time a young athlete is struggling, remember:

✅ Help them reconnect with what they love.

✅ Show them a clear path to improvement.

✅ Let them know you believe in them—because when they believe it, they’ll make it true.

And if you ever wonder if it really makes a difference, just think about that coach. One response from his dad changed everything.

So let’s be the parents, coaches, and leaders who build belief. Because belief and interest eat disbelief for breakfast. 💪🔥