Encouraging Sports Kids without Pressuring Them
Just how can sports parents encourage kids to take part in sports and support them—without pressuring them? That’s a good question, and the answers are not so obvious. Read on to get tips from Olympic fencer Tim Morehouse, who says his parents knew just how to support him as he grew into an Olympic athlete. “I was very fortunate,” he says. “My parents encouraged me to do different things that I loved.” The key, when kids are very young,... [Read More...]
What Hurts Young Athletes’ Confidence in Sports?
We believe that confidence is the most important asset that leads athletes to sporting excellence. It’s critical for your kids to feel confident—to believe in their abilities—in order to realize their physical potential. Confidence helps them bounce back after mistakes, hang in there when things get tough, transfer the skills they learn in practice to competition, and much more! “You still have to have confidence. If you don’t have... [Read More...]
Helping Sports Kids Focus on the Present and Improve Concentration
In the popular book, “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” one of the main characters—a racecar driver—talks about the importance of “having no memory” while competing. “Memory is time folding back on itself. To remember is to disengage from the present,” the book says. Here at the Ultimate Sports Parent and Kids’ Sports Psychology, we agree with this idea. Looking back—especially at past mistakes—isn’t... [Read More...]
When Talented Kids with Bad Attitudes Get More Playing Time
One of our readers recently asked a great question: Why do hard-working, less talented kids generally get less playing time than the talented athletes who have not-so-great work ethics and attitudes? “My son plays ice hockey and is a goalie,” says our reader, a sports dad. “He is small but very hard working and admittedly less talented than the team’s other goalie but not greatly.” “The biggest difference between the two goalies... [Read More...]
How Parents’ Expectations Hurt Athletes’ Confidence
Youth coach Doug Donaldson says he knows intuitively when one of his young athletes feels pressured by a parent’s expectations. And he also knows the problems such well-meaning expectations can create in young athletes. For example, one of his player’s mothers wants the child to play goalie in Lacrosse. But when the mother isn’t listening, the boy says he wants to play defense. “It’s a real quandary for him. He’s looking for Mom and worrying... [Read More...]
