Power Question #36: What's a routine you want to drop?

The pair to question 35. Both halves of the same skill — knowing what's serving you, and knowing what isn't.

Why is this a power question?

Most of what holds a young player back isn't a missing skill. It's a routine that isn't serving them: a pre-game habit that doesn't get them ready, a post-mistake reaction that keeps them rattled, a sideline habit that costs them focus.

Asking "what's a routine you want to drop?" invites your child to audit their own habits — which is hard to do without prompting. Most habits run in the background. They don't get examined until someone asks.

The phrasing also matters: you want to drop. Not I think you should drop. You're inviting them to identify the friction themselves. People act on their own decisions. They almost never act on someone else's.

What to do if you are uncomfortable asking the question

The risk is that this becomes a fishing expedition for confessions. "What bad habit are you ready to give up?" sounds preachy.

Soften the language: "Is there anything you've been doing that you don't think is helping?" That sounds like curiosity, not judgment.

If your child can't name anything, accept it. Maybe nothing is bothering them. Maybe they're just not ready to look. Try again in a few weeks.

If they name something — take them at their word. Don't add to the list. "I want to stop checking my phone before games" is a great answer. Don't follow up with "and also you should stop X, Y, Z."

What you might learn

The answers can be quietly insightful:

"I want to stop replaying mistakes in my head during games." "I want to stop asking my parents how I played the second I get in the car." "I want to stop checking the standings the night before games." "I want to stop apologizing every time I lose the ball."

What you're hearing is your child identifying their own developmental edges — without you naming them. That's worth more than any coaching note.

How you can probe for more if your player is interested

"What would you do instead?" — invites them to fill the space.

"What triggers it?" — gets at when the routine kicks in.

"How will you remember to drop it?" — opens the door to a practical strategy.

A takeaway

Self-coaching starts with self-noticing. "What's a routine you want to drop?" is one of the most direct ways to teach your child to audit their own habits. Players who can do that don't need someone to fix them. They fix themselves.