Improve Confidence and Success in Young Athletes
Here’s one former sports kid who has lots of good things to say about the benefits of mental training. “Dr. Patrick Cohn, I am so happy to see you exposing the true potential and impact of mental training with children. As a gymnast, I used mental training techniques day in and day out- and I … [Read more...]
Let’s say your young athlete is a golfer, baseball player or basketball player who needs to focus intensely before making a putt, throwing a pitch, hitting a ball or shooting a free-throw. The player generally has a strategy and an intention; the goal is to follow through on that strategy and … [Read more...]
High school athlete Jacob understands why having fun is hands-down the most important thing kids can do when all seems lost. In a recent interview, he told us that when his team is down, or if he makes mistakes, his confidence starts to slip—until he reminds himself that it’s important to … [Read more...]
It’s a great idea to set goals for sports kids. Goal-setting helps improve kids’ motivation and commitment, helps them stay focused on what to accomplish, helps them assess their strengths and weaknesses, and track their performance. But who should do it--the parent, the young athlete, or the … [Read more...]
Too often today, young athletes are motivated for the wrong reason, says Kirk Mango, a former Division I gymnast who is now a coach and sports parent. He says many athletes seek external rewards, such as trophies, admiration from coaches and parents, poularity, and scholarships. The problem … [Read more...]
A sports parent tells us her son really shines on the field during practice. "He's way beyond all the other boys in terms of technical and tactical skills during practice." However, here's the "But." And it's a big one. During a game, she says, you wouldn't know her son excels in … [Read more...]
Frustrated parents and coaches of young athletes contact us everyday about their kids' inability to handle mistakes or cope with imperfection in sports. As a matter of fact, 43% of sports parents and coaches we surveyed agreed that kids struggle to let go and stay composed after … [Read more...]
Sophie is a 7th grade cross-country runner who has trouble letting go of past losses. She assumes one loss will lead to another. This is a common challenge for young athletes. They make generalizations about one bad game or race. If it happened once, they think, it will happen over and … [Read more...]
