Youth Sports Psychology Blog at The Ultimate Sports Parent

Welcome to The Ultimate Sports Parent blog at Youth Sports Psychology. Sports parents and coaches learn how to instill confidence and success in young athletes. Do your athletes struggle with doubt, anxiety, frustration or under performance?

Learn how mental training can help young athletes succeed. Here, you’ll learn proven mental game skills for sports and life! Browse our 100% FREE articles, videos, and podcasts:

YOUTH SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY ARTICLES | SPORTS PARENT PODCASTS | MENTAL TRAINING VIDEOS

How Young Athlete Build Ultimate Self-Confidence

Athletes who Lose Confidence with Constructive Criticism "I'm a female soccer player. I'm often challenged mentally when playing and this usually happens at training sessions, my teammate would tell me how I can't do a certain thing eg. Properly marking my … [Read Youth Sports Psychology Tip...] about How Young Athlete Build Ultimate Self-Confidence

Using Sports Psychology to Overcome a Cold Streak

“How to Win Wimbledon in Pajamas” Mary Nhin’s son, Kobe, began competing in tennis a couple of years ago and was winning most of his games… until he hit a cold streak. “He began going into super tiebreakers, a very short determining point system, and he would get very … [Read Youth Sports Psychology Tip...] about Using Sports Psychology to Overcome a Cold Streak

Young Athletes Who Perform Tight or Nervous

How to Perform Freely We received an email from a young athlete what is feeling nervous… “I have a figure skating competition next week and I was wondering if there are some tips to help me for the competition. I get really nervous for no reason. And I do really well … [Read Youth Sports Psychology Tip...] about Young Athletes Who Perform Tight or Nervous

How One Coach Helped a Perfectionist Athlete

Richard Burke, who has been coaching baseball, football and basketball for the last 12 years, recently told us how he used our Ultimate Sports Parent program to help a perfectionist pitcher. “I had a 10-year-old pitcher playing on an 11-year-old travel team. He was … [Read Youth Sports Psychology Tip...] about How One Coach Helped a Perfectionist Athlete

How Young Athletes Find Flow in Sports

Flow and Peak Performance in Sports For young athletes, finding flow is critical for their enjoyment and peak performance in sports… When kids experience being “in the zone,” they are focused, confident, and fearless. Athletes in a flow state perform on … [Read Youth Sports Psychology Tip...] about How Young Athletes Find Flow in Sports

How to Avoid Comparison Trap for Sports Parents

Comparisons Hurt Athletes’ Confidence When we surveyed parents, we found that 23% said that kids judge how their teammates are performing instead of focusing on their own play. Focusing on others’ play will distract your young athletes from their own game, and can … [Read Youth Sports Psychology Tip...] about How to Avoid Comparison Trap for Sports Parents

Signs of Performance Anxiety in Young Athletes

How to Help Young Athletes Enjoy Sports Many athletes limit their performance due to anxiety, tension, worry, and fear. Sports are supposed to be fun, not stressful for your athletes, right? Parents and coaches, we can help you identify when sports kids are … [Read Youth Sports Psychology Tip...] about Signs of Performance Anxiety in Young Athletes

Important Dos and Don’ts for Sports Parents Before Games

How to Help Athletes be Relaxed before a Game Parents want to know what to tell their athletes before a game that will help them perform well and feel less pressure… For example, parents say: *Do you coach your kids on what to do? *Do you let them mentally … [Read Youth Sports Psychology Tip...] about Important Dos and Don’ts for Sports Parents Before Games

Youth Sports Psychology

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Recent Youth Sports Psychology Articles