Power Question #23: What did you do in the last five minutes that you're proud of?

The last five minutes are where games are decided and where players reveal themselves. Asking about this specific window is sharper than asking about the whole game.

Why is this a power question?

Most players show their character in the last five minutes. The ones who are tired and still tracking back. The ones who keep calling for the ball even when their team is losing 3-0. The ones who lift teammates' heads instead of dropping their own.

By asking specifically about that window, you're directing your child's attention to the moment that matters most. You're also telling them that what they do when things are decided — for better or worse — is the part of the game you're paying attention to.

This question rewards a particular kind of effort: the effort that happens when there's no glory in it. A goal in the 88th minute when you're down 4-0 doesn't show up on social media. But for a player who's developing, that goal matters more than the easy ones.

What to do if you are uncomfortable asking the question

The risk is that this can land as accusatory if your child knows they checked out in the last five minutes. Tone fixes it.

Don't ask it on game days you watched. If you saw them quit in the last five minutes, asking "what did you do that you're proud of?" feels like a setup. Wait until tomorrow.

Frame it forward, not backward: "Anything you did at the end you'd want to do again?" That feels more like reflection than accountability.

If they can't name anything, accept it. The question still planted the seed. Next time, they may catch themselves trying harder in the last five minutes because they know you're going to ask.

What you might learn

The answers are often surprisingly mature:

"I kept making runs even though my legs were dead." "I told my teammate to lift her head after she made the mistake." "I tracked back twice when I usually wouldn't have." "I didn't stop trying even though we were losing."

These tell you about your child's finishing character — the part of them that shows up when the game gets hard. That's some of the most important information about who they're becoming as a player.

How you can probe for more if your player is interested

"Was anyone else still trying like that?" — opens the social layer.

"What made you keep going?" — gets at their internal motivation.

"Has there been a time you didn't?" — opens up a more honest conversation about effort patterns.

A takeaway

Anyone can play hard in the first ten minutes. The players who play hard in the last ten are the players who develop something durable. "What did you do in the last five minutes that you're proud of?" is the question that quietly trains your child to value that window — and to look for themselves in it.