Bouncing back from failure: Some lessons from sport psychology
On A Levels results day, we caught up with sport psychologist Professor Pete Coffee for some tips on how to respond positively when results might not go our way…
17 August 2023
Everyone knows about 'exam stress'. But for many of us, it's thinking about results day that can give us the biggest lump in the throat.
We may have pinned our future hopes on certain A Level grades, and getting into our first choice university, only to find that our numbers, or our points, haven't quite added up.
For some of us that might involve a shift in expectations – a different course to the one we'd dreamed of, perhaps going through UCAS's clearing system or even contemplating a different path altogether. And then there are the difficult emotions around telling our families and how we interact with friends who got the results they wanted.
In life, though, our exam results don't get to have the last word. Many people have picked themselves up from perceived failures in life, and come back stronger and wiser than ever.
Bouncing back in sport
While your A Levels might not be a sport, there are parallels between disappointments on the pitch or the court and the exam hall.
Ever heard of Vera Wang? She was a top ice skater in the sixties and was devastated to find out in 1968 that she hadn't been selected to represent the US at the Winter Olympics.
What did Wang do? She retrained in the fashion industry, and has since become one of the world's best known fashion designers. You may have seen her wedding gowns on celebrities like Ariana Grande and Victoria Beckham.
Sometimes what we perceive as failure can open up new opportunities.
Or how about basketball star Michael Jordan, who took sports fame to a new level in the 1990s? If you haven't worn his trainers, you've probably watched the Warner Bros film he starred in.
Life wasn't always a space jam for, Jordan, though. He had to contend with negative press in his time, missing shots in key games and suffering multiple injuries in his career.
Unlike many others, though, Jordan has always been happy to talk about his failures as well as his successes. If you feel like you've missed the grade today, make a note of this quote of his:
"I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
Insights from Psychology
We often learn more from our failures and disappointments than our successes. When we fail – or do not attain to what we expected or hoped for – we ask the question, ‘Why?’
This can lead us on a path of discovery and learning through which we develop. Success is achieved through learning from our failures and disappointments and trying again, drawing on those around us for their support.
Research in educational psychology has shown that when events are important and novel, and when results are unexpected, (e.g. we got a C when we wanted a B) often we search for causes to explain what happened. Perhaps the exam was too difficult, I was unlucky, I didn’t revise well, or I didn’t try hard enough.
Identifying what went 'wrong' helps us to be able to predict and control events in the future. My own research in sport psychology has shown the importance of perceiving control over such causes. If for example, we've identified that that our revision strategy wasn't effective, we could make sure we use a different one next time.
Support from others is also key to athlete performance and wellbeing, and of course for all of us too. Research has shown, for example, that positive support may reduce stress and even the risk of burnout in athletes.
Not all support is equal, though. There's evidence that support can be more effective if it's closer to home – especially from social groups we belong to. That might in include friends, family, sport groups or gaming networks. So, look around you and harness the support you have among people you know.
Tips to take away
Just to sum up, then, these are my three top tips for managing perceived disappointment – today, and on any day:
- Treat perceived achievement failure or disappointment as a learning opportunity. It is an excellent opportunity for discovery and development.
- Identify the main cause of perceived failure and what you can control to minimise experiencing that same cause of failure in the future.
- Our social groups provide us with necessary support. Reach out to people you identify with – e.g., friends, family, sport groups, gaming networks – for support. Ask for their advice and guidance.
Pete Coffee is a Professor of Psychology at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, and Programme Director of the new British Psychological Society accredited MSc Sport Psychology run with support from Oriam, Scotland's Sports Performance Centre.