Today, in episode #279 David and Gerard discuss the challenges faced by a 12-year-old cricketer named Amir (pseudonym), who is a leg spinner struggling with inconsistent selection due to the club's preference for pace bowling. Amir's fluctuating motivation and confidence, as well as the potential for dropping out of cricket are attributed to poor communication from coaches and his own difficulty in expressing frustrations.

Key Learning Points:

· Helping the cricketer develop psychological flexibility to separate his self-worth from the selection decisions made by the coaches is key.

· Encourage the cricketer to focus on the controllables, such as his attitude, effort, and the key ingredients that make up a good performance, rather than the uncontrollable factors like the perfect delivery.

· Coaches should consider carefully how they communicate to prevent young cricketers and athletes from feeling undervalued and potentially quitting the sport.

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