How Are Sports Kids Their Own Worst Enemies?
Just how many ways can young athletes sabotage their sports performance? In lots of ways, says Dr. Harold Shinitzky, a sports psychologist and author of “Your Mind: An Owner’s Manual for a Better Life.” “A lot of athletes, based on how they think of themselves, engage in behaviors that interfere with their ultimate performance. That’s the saboteur,” he says. Examples? When kids decide to eat poorly, get little sleep, or engage in other... [Read More...]
Pressure Sports Kids, and They Might Drop Out of Sports Altogether
One of our readers, a caring sports mom, has this confession to make: “I am guilty! I am a frustrated but well-meaning mother who has put pressure to perform on my children.” This is an important realization for this sports mom. She understands that pressure from parents does not help young athletes succeed. In fact, it can cause kids to lose confidence and drop out of sports. Read on, and you’ll discover that’s exactly what’s happening... [Read More...]
Five Benefits for Kids Who Participate in Sports
Research shows exactly why young athletes should stay in sports. That’s the word from Paul Caccamo, the Harvard-educated executive director of Up2Us, a national coalition of community sports programs that teaches young athletes life lessons. “Sports are more than a game; they are a set of life lessons. Kids growing up without them are really disadvantaged,” he says. The statistics tell you all you need to know about the advantages of participating... [Read More...]
Sports Kids Who Feel Pressure To Make Parents Happy
One important challenge for sports kids today is a phenomenon called social approval. Young athletes often worry too much about what others may or may not be thinking about them. Young athletes want other to hold them in high esteem: They want to be accepted, respected, or liked by others. To some degree, this is normal. But when young athletes are too concerned about what others think of their performance, they often find it difficult to perform... [Read More...]
