The largest televised event of the year, that locks in millions of people around the world, is officially behind us. And no I’m not talking about the Super Bowl, I’m talking about the Super Bowl commercials. It’s no secret that these simple advertisements have exploded in popularity (and cost) over the last few decades. For many people watching, this is actually the highlight of the game itself.
As a native New Englander, my favorite Superbowl commercial this year was of course the Dunkings ad with Ben Affleck, JLo, and a few other guys you might know, Matt and Tawmy. However, the next best commercial, and one that speaks to a much more important topic than new coffees and donuts, was the Dove #Keepherconfident commercial. The goal of this commercial was to highlight the fact that 45% of girls quit sports by the age of 14 because of low body confidence, and what can be done about it.
In the commercial, we are introduced to a program sponsored by Dove and Nike, which coaches and athletes can enroll in to help improve body positivity and create environments in which young girls feel safe to continue to compete in their sports, while being comfortable with their own bodies.
I love the message of this because it addresses an all too common issue in today’s society. Even though we are more inclusive than ever, we are still failing our girls in not providing them the right support so they actually feel like they belong in sports. So in addition to going to the program website,
https://www.
1. Reward the effort, not the results or how they looked.
As a coach, parent, sibling, or friend, it’s important that you focus on the results the athlete earns, rather than how good they looked while competing. This means putting more emphasis on the prep before contests getting their mind and skills right, instead of getting their outfit/uniform on point. And when you’re discussing the event afterwards, talk about her performance itself, and how she thinks she did.
2. Reiterate and educate the athlete on how much the sport can help her outside the lines.
Sports are a microcosm of life and can be used to teach so many important lessons. They’re also an arena (no pun intended) for the athlete to challenge herself and push her limits to be something greater. Rarely in life are we given the opportunity to really see what we’re made of, and sports provides this for us.
3. Focus discussions on the internal benefits of sport and training, not the external.
As a strength and conditioning coach this is a big focus for me, and one I stress to parents as well. When the girls come in to train for their sport, I make sure I only discuss with them how the training will strengthen their muscles, as well as improve their emotional and mental strength. Parents who come to me and want their pre-teen daughters to lose some weight and “look fitter” may have good intentions, but it is the exact wrong way to look at what training and sports can do for their daughter. So reframing goals with the athletes that focus on improving performance will help them stay on course, because the results they get will be directly tied to how well they perform in their sport, not just on how they look.
4. Be mindful of how you act and speak towards your own health and fitness.
This one’s for the moms and older siblings: your kids are paying attention to you more than you think, so when you are beating yourself up about how you look, your daughter hears this and starts to make the association between feeling good and looking a certain way. In addition to what you say, you’ve got to also watch how you act in regards to your physical appearance. So, if you're feeling bloated or feel like you've gained a few pounds, don't beat yourself up. Instead, do things that make you feel good. Go for a walk, cook a healthy meal, or get a workout in. Not only will this make you feel better, but it will also show your daughter positive habits to model.
5. Get more involved with her athletic career.
No, I'm not saying transform into a helicopter parent like some sort of parental Autobot, constantly hovering over her progress. Being involved can just be a small gesture that shows you’re taking an interest in her sports. This can range from coaching her team (after making sure it’s ok with her) to just asking about her latest practice or competition at dinner. Having open talks about her sport, and how she’s doing will give her a real world sounding board to discuss her sport, and not leave her turning to the internet and social media for validation and feedback.
While many Super Bowl ads are overpriced sales pitches with no real meaning beyond “Look at our crazy commercial! Come buy our stuff!!” There are a few whose impact goes beyond a company's bottom line, and can have a real effect on those watching. Dove nailed it with their commercial this year, and here’s hoping that the message doesn’t fall flat like the 49ers in overtime.