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🏆 Friday Fuel – Boredom Creates Creativity in Athletes Post
How unstructured time can unlock skills, confidence, and game-changing ideas.
The Game Changer
August 14, 2025
When Boredom Was the Start of the Best Adventures
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, our summers smelled like lake water and freshly cut grass. You could hear the rattle of bike chains on gravel roads, the slap of jandals on hot concrete, and the laughter echoing from somewhere deep in the bush.
If we ever dared to say the words, “I’m bored,” our parents didn’t hand us a device or switch on a screen — they sent us outside. And we went.
We lived at the lake, the park, or in the bush making huts out of sticks, ferns, and whatever else we could find. We invented whole worlds from nothing. We mixed “potions” from flower petals, leaves, and muddy water, convinced we’d created something magical. We built bike jumps out of old plywood, dammed up creeks, and competed to see who could make the tallest tree fort.
The best part? We made our own rules, our own fun, and our own mistakes. There were no instructions, no “how-to” videos — just trial, error, and a lot of laughter. Every game we played taught us something: how to solve problems on the fly, how to work as a team, and how to keep going when something didn’t work the first time.
These days, things are different. Many kids have endless entertainment in their pockets, and while technology has its place, it often robs them of that precious “blank space” where imagination grows. Without time to be bored, they miss the chance to invent, adapt, and dream in the same way we did.
That’s why, as parents, coaches, and educators, we need to fight to keep boredom alive — not as a problem to fix, but as an opportunity to grow. Give kids the gift of an empty afternoon and watch what happens. That’s where the real magic begins.
📌 This week:
🏆 Two Quotes to Inspire – unpacked for athletes and parents
📖 Stories from the Field – How Boredom Built Greatness
❓ Why Boredom Might Be the Best Coach Your Athlete Never Had
🧠 The Science – What Psychology Says About Boredom & Creativity
🎯 Strategies for Parents – Encouraging ‘Good Boredom’ (and what to avoid)
⚽ Tips for Youth Athletes – Turning Downtime into Game Time
💬 Voices from the Pros – Coaches on Boredom & Skill Growth
📺 Watch: YouTube Clips on the power of boredom
📖 Read: Articles That Back It Up
🎯 This Week’s Challenge
🏆 Two Quotes to Inspire – and What They Really Mean
“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” – Pablo Picasso
True breakthroughs don’t always happen under the spotlight. Solitude — the quiet, uninterrupted moments — is where the mind slows down enough to think deeply, experiment freely, and make mistakes without fear. For athletes, this means backyard dribbling, empty-court shooting, or running drills alone at the park.
“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” – Dorothy Parker
Boredom can be the spark that lights curiosity, and curiosity is what keeps athletes hungry to learn. Once an athlete starts asking “What happens if I try this?”, growth becomes unstoppable.
📖 Stories from the Field – How Boredom Built Greatness
Lionel Messi – Narrow street football, older kids, no real goals. Boredom forced him to master tight-space dribbling — now his trademark.
Roger Federer – Backyard games with no rules created shots no opponent could predict.
Serena & Venus Williams – Invented “imaginary tournaments” when coaching wasn’t available. That fearlessness shaped their championship mindset.
❓ Why Boredom Might Be the Best Coach Your Athlete Never Had
When kids are constantly entertained, creativity fades. Boredom removes the script — forcing them to write their own.
Boredom develops:
Creativity – New moves, games, and solutions.
Initiative – Choosing their own challenges.
Problem-Solving – Adapting to fewer resources or unexpected changes.
🧠 The Science – What Psychology Says About Boredom & Creativity
Research shows boredom activates the brain’s default mode network — linked to imagination and innovation.
Encourages divergent thinking – multiple solutions to one problem.
Builds intrinsic motivation – doing something for its own sake.
Improves resilience – comfort with uncertainty.
In sport, these skills mean athletes can improvise when the game changes unexpectedly.
🎯 Strategies for Parents – Encouraging ‘Good Boredom’
Do:
Leave gaps in the week for unstructured time.
Keep gear handy – balls, cones, ropes, chalk.
Ask open questions: “What’s your plan for the next hour?”
Celebrate what they invent.
Watch Out For:
Over-scheduling.
Using screens as the default boredom fix.
Over-coaching their free time.
⚽ Tips for Youth Athletes – Turning Downtime into Game Time
Make new rules – Only pass backwards, only shoot left-handed, etc.
Invent drills – Targets, timed runs, trick shots.
Challenge friends remotely.
Train in unusual conditions – wind, rain, low light.
Be resourceful – No hoop? Use a bucket.
💬 Voices from the Pros – Coaches on Boredom & Skill Growth
Anson Dorrance – “Pickup games teach creativity.”
Phil Jackson – “Players need space to find their rhythm.”
Pep Guardiola – “The streets teach unpredictability.”
📺 Watch – YouTube Clips on the power of boredom
If you would like a shorter clip (less than 2 minutes) watch below.
📖 Read – Articles That Back It Up
🎯 This Week’s Challenge
Parents – Schedule one no-activity, no-screen hour for your child this week.
Athletes – Invent a brand new skill, move, or mini-game and teach it to someone else.
💡 The next great goal, skill, or idea might be hiding inside a “boring” afternoon.
Until next time, keep fuelling those dreams — on and off the field.
Here’s to quiet afternoons, messy backyards, and the spark of creativity that only boredom can bring.
Ben & Billinda
🎙 The Game Changer Podcast