To err is human. To put the blame on someone else is doubles.Anonymous
Athletes tend to strive for the perfect game. They want to win without any blemishes or mistakes at all and will spend hours upon hours tediously working on every small detail of their craft in order to wipe away any imperfections. Maybe he is working to get just a little extra velocity on his serve, or she is trying to perfect the amount of backspin she can put on the ball. Whatever the case, athletes should constantly be trying to improve all aspects of the game in order to strive for perfection. But, what happens when the pursuit of perfection is replaced by denial that your performance was perfect when it is not. That means, rather than admitting mistakes, you look for any and every explanation as to why that mistake was not your fault. Maybe someone in the stands was distracting you, the line judge was not doing a good job, or in the case of doubles, it was your teammates fault. Whatever the excuse may be, the only purpose that it ultimately serves is to deny you the opportunity to grow as a player.
Perfection is a worthy goal. It teaches you to be meticulous. To be perfect in sports, nothing can be overlooked. When you train, any slight mistake in technique must be fixed in order to truly be able to be perfect. For that reason, perfection is something that should be strived for as an athlete. However, in reality, perfection is an ultimate goal that can never be truly obtained. There is always going to be areas where you can grow as an athlete. We talk about something known as the growth mindset. That means that you are constantly working to improve. If you make excuses for every fault that you make to try to convince yourself and others that your mistake is really someone else’s mistake or wrongdoing, you are denying yourself the opportunity to become a better player. Mistakes have to be viewed as an opportunity to improve. They shed light on your shortcomings and allow you to see the aspects of your game that need work. Stop making excuses, look to improve, and keep perfecting your craft!