Positive Actions Empower Young Athletes What kinds of adversity have your sports kids encountered? Perhaps they have experienced an injury or long-term sickness. Maybe they were cut from a team or benched by their coach. They could have bombed a big competition or missed the playoffs. They could also experience … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How Young Athletes can Feel and Play Safe on the Field When kids feel as if their equipment is safe, they likely feel more confident. However, Mike Oliver, executive director of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, says that with expensive equipment, such as helmets, kids can … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Help Sports Kids Develop a “Give it Your All” Mindset Do your athletes ever complete a competition and regret that they didn’t put forth enough effort? When sports kids lose and feel as if they didn’t give 100%, they can feel crushed. Losing generally isn’t one athlete’s fault. Many issues … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Help Kids Cope with Uncertainty It’s tough for sports kids during the COVID-19 crisis. Either they aren’t playing sports at all–or if they are, they’re worried about their sports being canceled due to COVID-19. Such uncertainty creates anxiety in sports kids, says Rebekah Roulier, director of the Champions Network and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Be Mentally Prepared for Adversity Do your sports kids embrace unexpected challenges, seeing them as a way to discover new ways to keep moving forward? Or do these challenges dissuade them from reaching their athletic goals? Kids need to expect the unexpected. In fact, they should prepare for … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Help Young Athletes Develop a Growth Mindset Christian Buck, a performance coach and author of The Sport of School, says it’s critical for young athletes–and students–to establish a long-term vision and goals that support it. He teaches high schoolers how to create a vision and goals–in both sports and … Read Sport Psychology Tip