What is a Triple-Impact Competitor®?

Positive Coaching Alliance’s mission is to change the culture of youth sports so that every child, regardless of social or economic circumstance, has access to a positive youth sports experience where coaches develop competitors and life skills. There are many key stakeholders involved in creating a Positive Youth Sports Experience, from the coaches, parents, sports administrators and leaders to the athletes. PCA’s Triple-Impact Competitor® model is designed to help athletes make the most out of their time playing sports.

1. Self: Make oneself better by:

• Developing a growth-focused mindset by being open and hungry for feedback
• Pursuing mastery by giving maximum effort at workouts, practices, and competitions
• Improving one’s “mental game” with tools like visualization, positive self-talk, and a Mistake Ritual to increase resiliency and more quickly bounce back from mistakes
• Setting goals, tracking progress, and making adjustments when facing the inevitable setback
• Focusing on improving diet, hydration, and sleep in a way that will positively affect performance on and off the field

2. Teammates: Become a leader who makes those teammates better by:

• Paying attention to and improving the emotional well-being of teammates through encouragement and support
• Seeking opportunities to help team members improve
• Developing empathy to be able to put oneself in his or her teammates’ shoes
• Learning to give constructive criticism – at the right time in the right way
• Being a team player who prioritizes team success and builds team chemistry
• Learning to manage and resolve conicts.

3. The Game:

Strive to make the game better behaving respectfully towards the ROOTS of Honoring the Game (Rules of Competition, Opponents, Officials, Teammates, and Self). They use their status and influence as an athlete to improve their school community including helping to prevent hazing and bullying.

The Challenge

Being a Triple-Impact Competitor is not easy. It requires mental discipline and knowing your values so well you don’t sacrifice them under pressure. But if you build a commitment to being a Triple-Impact Competitor into who you are as a person, you will find it can provide a larger meaning for your involvement in sports. And it will pay off for you in meaningful ways in the rest of your life.