Patrick Cohn

How To Motivate Your Young Athletes Without Pressuring Them

The Power of Pregame Visualization

Kids’ Motivation in Sports Your sports kids may show a fair amount of talent, but are seemingly not interested in meeting their potential. Many sports parents want to know how to motivate their kids, yet not pressure them. You’re unsure how much time you should spend reminding your kids that they … Read Sport Psychology Tip

8 Confidence Busters for Sports Kids You Should Know

Youth Sports Psychology

Confidence Busters in Youth Sports Sports, at any level, are a game of confidence. Kids who have tons of confidence usually will rise above the competition. Under pressure, these kids’ performance will thrive because of their strong belief in their ability. We receive many emails from concerned sports parents stating that … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Sports Kids Who Feel Pressure To Make Parents Happy

Building Confidence in Young Athletes

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. … Read Sport Psychology Tip

How Sports Kids Benefit From “Get Ready” Routines

How to Care About Athletes’ Mental Health

“Get Ready” Routines Some of the biggest mental game challenges for sports kids are distractions. When they’re practicing, playing or performing, kids get distracted when they worry about what others’ think of them. They also get distracted when a dog runs onto the field. Some kids get distracted when their … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Finding A Youth Coach With A Coaching Philosophy

Youth Sports Psychology

Embracing a Coaching Philosophy In a recent survey by Youth Football USA, 69 percent of respondents said that their main concern was the quality of youth coaches, says Joe Bouffard, active director of Youth Football USA. The survey respondents had good reason to be concerned, he says. But first an … Read Sport Psychology Tip

The Youth Coach Who Yells–But the Team Wins

Focus on Fun For Your Athletes

Here’s a really tough question for sports parents…. If a youth sports coach yells at his young athletes a lot, but his teams always win AND his team members generally seem happy, is he a good coach or a bad coach? That’s a question recently posed in a blog that’s … Read Sport Psychology Tip