Mastery Definition Of A Winner

 

 

 

 

PCA has developed an approach to winning called the ELM Tree of Mastery. It’s based on years of sport psychology research and provides any coach with a means to help any team member improve.

It doesn’t get rid of the scoreboard kind of winning; instead it places the focus elsewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coaches who coach their team to pursue mastery get better results on the scoreboard than those who focus solely on the scoreboard.

 

The ELM Tree of Mastery is: effort,
learning, and letting swimmers
know that mistakes are OK.
To help you remember Mastery, you
can think of an ELM tree.

Let’s see how the mastery definition compares to the scoreboard definition of winner.

E = EFFORT:

  • Scoreboard Definition
    • Focuses on results – “Who won and who lost?”
  • Mastery Definition
    • Focuses on effort – “Am I giving my best effort?”

L = LEARNING:

  • Scoreboard Definition
    • Focuses on comparison with others – “Am I better than she is?” “Is he faster than I am?”
  • Mastery Definition
    • Focuses on learning – “Am I better than I was two weeks ago?”

M = MISTAKES ARE OK:

  • Scoreboard Definition
    • Says mistakes are not OK – “Mistakes are terrible!”
  • Mastery Definition
    • Says mistakes are OK – “Learning can’t be maximized unless mistakes are happening.”