Mat-Town USA - Welcome

The values of an athletics related experience are sometimes underestimated and undervalued. Following is a list of opportunities and values intrinsic to a competitive athletics experience:

1. The value of being stretched beyond our perceived physiological and psychological limitations.

2. The opportunity to understand and value the functions of group dynamics and group loyalty.

3. The opportunity to learn how to value the importance of a high level of self-discipline.

4. The opportunity to learn the value of developing a high level of mental toughness.

5. The opportunity to develop an appreciation for the value of persistence.

6. The opportunity to appreciate the value of goal setting and the direction goals provide.

7. The opportunity to fail in a supportive environment.

8. The opportunity to learn that defeat need not be linked with failure.

9. The opportunity to experience the exhilaration of victory and the agony of defeat.

10. The value of learning how to overcome failure; that failure is not fatal and does not have to be final.

11. The value of learning that success is a journey not a destination.

12. The value of learning how to develop respect for the opposition.

13. The opportunity to learn how to how to value others in spite of our differences.

14. The opportunity to learn the value of respecting differences; that different does not necessarily mean better or worse, right or wrong; just different and that different is acceptable and okay.

15. The opportunity to learn and value differences in racial, ethnic and social background.

16. The opportunity to view the opposition as a possibility to challenge one’s own possibilities and capabilities, rather than the enemy.

17. The opportunity to learn and develop more objective self assessment skills.

18. The opportunity to develop a higher level of respect for authority; the importance of knowing proper ways to submit to authority.

19. The opportunity to learn an appreciation and respect for a chain-of-command authority.

20. The opportunity to discover and develop unrecognized leadership skills.

21. The opportunity to learn how to appropriately handle success.

22. The opportunity to learn more about people and how they respond to challenges.

23. The opportunity to learn the value of intrinsic motivation. (A large number of people depend heavily on extrinsic motivation.)

24. The opportunity to develop and value higher levels of ethical conduct.

25. The opportunity to develop an appreciation for the value and importance of rules and regulations.

26. The opportunity to be mentored by a caring individual who may be someone other than a parent or guardian.

27. The opportunity to learn the value and importance of physical challenges; the value of physical fitness; the value of being stretched to our physical limits.

28. The opportunity to learn more about the positive values of the competitive environment.

29. The opportunity to learn how to develop and enhance social interaction skills.

30. The opportunity to develop an appreciation for graciousness and humility.

31. The opportunity to learn how to be confidently competent in the absence of arrogance.

32. The opportunity to learn how to develop and value the importance of behavioral integrity.

Layton Shoemaker coached collegiate soccer for 30 years and was an athletic director for 15 years. He was voted National Coach of the Year in the NSCAA in 1986.

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