With a new season, kids and parents often have high hopes for what will happen. Sometimes, that translates to high expectations. Believe it or not, you can get the new season off to a bad start with such expectations. It’s pretty natural for parents to have high expectations about their kids’ … [Read more...]

In a survey we conducted at The Ultimate Sports Parent, more than 45% of sports parents and coaches said that their kids become easily frustrated or angry after making mistakes. They know kids struggle to let go of mistakes. As a parent or coach to young athletes, you must attempt to help them … [Read more...]

A sports mom, “Alice,” recently made this confession: “I am guilty! I am a frustrated but well-meaning mother who has put pressure to perform on my children.” First, the good news: Alice realized she made a mistake. The bad news: Her young athlete has experienced a drop in confidence and is not … [Read more...]

Parents and coaches contact us every day saying that their kids sometimes sabotage their own success. Why would your athletes do this? You might assume that the problem relates to a "fear of success." It could be fear of success, but that’s not likely. Fear of success does cause athletes to … [Read more...]

Often, we hear from parents who worry about young athletes who are hard on themselves, become easily frustrated, and take disappointment home with them. You’re likely familiar with these types of athletes. They’re perfectionists or athletes who display perfectionistic behaviors. Perfectionistic … [Read more...]

As youth sports psychology experts, we often work very closely with our students’ parents and coaches when we provide mental coaching for young athletes. Parents and coaches who are knowledgeable about “mental game” challenges and strategies are better equipped to instill confidence in young … [Read more...]

Kevin, a 13-year-old baseball, hockey and tennis player from Portland, Ore., is a talented athlete who admits his "mental game" sometimes prevents him from playing his best. "I take on my team's errors," he says. "If someone steals home base, I assume it's my fault. I'm really hard on … [Read more...]

Young kids are motivated to participate in sports for many different reasons. Most young kids just want to have fun. Some kids want to be part of a group. Others want to socialize with others. Sometimes, they like to test their skills against the skills of other kids their age. In addition, sports … [Read more...]