Get Kids Moving to Avoid Obesity and Sickness To ensure both their physical and mental health, kids need to get exercise and take part in outdoor play, says Dr. Dan O’Neill, an orthopedic surgeon, sports psychologist and author of “Survival of the Fit.” Twenty percent of kids are obese, and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Focus on Small Objectives It’s important for young athletes to establish goals in order to improve their training for the new year. Many young athletes have goals about the successes they’re aiming for in competition, but don’t have well-defined goals for training and practice. Training is critical to success in … Read Sport Psychology Tip
If Young Athletes Work Together, They Will Grow Together V.J. Stanley, a coach, former teacher and author of three youth sports books, believes that building community is the most important goal for coaches and parents who want to boost their kids’ confidence and happiness in sports. Equal play for kids … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Is Your Athlete a Gamer, Choker or Steady Eddie? Some kids perform better in competition than in practice. Some struggle with maintaining their focus during practice because it lacks the excitement of a match or game. And some excel in practice, but underperform during competitions or matches. These athletes often … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Boost Young Athletes’ Communication and Cooperation Chasta Hamilton, author of “Trash The Trophies: How To Win Without Losing Your Soul,” was seeing red flags in her dance studio. The owner and artistic director of Stage Door Dance Productions thought that the often expensive “pay to play” dance scene was creating … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Keep Confidence Up, Even in a Pandemic When kids’ sports schedules are interrupted or stopped altogether–which is true for many young athletes right now, due to the pandemic–they can feel anxious. Injuries, illnesses, inclement weather, facility shutdowns and vacations are some of the other circumstances that can disrupt athletes’ training … Read Sport Psychology Tip