Sports Parents Mental Coaching
Jennifer sought our help with some tough challenges about her son, who just started playing tackle football:
“He lacks confidence because he’s the smallest on the team. He doesn’t respond appropriately to criticism. His confidence sinks when he feels as if he’s not playing “perfectly.”
We invited Jennifer to join us on “Sports Parents’ Coach,” a new live coaching program at Kid’s Sports Psychology. We answer sports parents’ questions about how to address such challenges.
Read on to learn about some of the important tips we gave Jennifer and to learn how you can take part in our new Sports Parents’ Coach coaching program!
First, we listened to Jennifer’s story and uncovered a few of the underlying issues that might be contributing to her son’s lack of confidence…
For example, Jennifer’s husband comes from a long line of gifted athletes and casts a pretty big shadow. As a result, the boy has adopted high expectations, and is trying to practice and perform perfectly.
First of all, we addressed the boy’s lacking confidence because of his size and height. What do you tell a kid who’s the shortest on his team?
Tell him he needs to take stock of and appreciate his talents and stop comparing himself to others. He should create a list of his positive attributes, which may include speed, teamwork, enthusiasm and leadership.
As for the boy’s perfectionism, it’s critical to make him feel comfortable making mistakes….
To borrow a Positive Coaching Alliance term, Jennifer and her husband need to tell their son to “flush” away his mistakes and move on. When he makes mistakes, they could simply make a “flushing” motion.
What other tips did we give Jennifer? We shared all of the tips we gave her with our members at Kids’ Sports Psychology. If you are a member, you too can listen to the entire coaching session by visiting: Kids’ Sports Psychology
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- Sports Parents: Why Sports Kids Need Great Coaching
- Parents Should Show Sports Kids They Care About More than the Win
- Yes, College Recruiters Evaluate Players’ Mental Game
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Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!
Every day, we receive letters from parents like you who want their children and teens to excel in sports. However, these parents can see fear, doubt, and frustration on the faces of their kids who struggle with the “inner” game of sports. But these parents have no idea how to help their kids overcome the worries, expectations and self-defeating thoughts that prevent their young athletes from feeling confident and successful.
You can benefit from our 15-plus years’ of work in sports psychology and sports parenting research. Now, you can tap into our secrets to sports success through a cutting-edge, 14-day program that helps young athletes overcome the top “mental game” challenges that sports parents face—and the top challenges young athletes face.