How Expectations Hinder Confidence Perfectionists tend to have more confidence in practice than they do in competition. They also harbor what’s called fragile confidence. Fragile confidence means that athletes’ confidence rises and falls depending on how they are performing at the moment. At its worst, fragile confidence can increase and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Interview With Christian Lavers It’s natural for youth sports kids’ confidence to come and go, says Christian Lavers, President, Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), a youth sports competition and development organization. When kids’ confidence does wane, it’s generally in response to a bad game or performance, a losing season, a … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Help Young Athletes with Performance Young athletes can become overwhelmed by crowds during games or performances. Some kids feel anxious when the crowd claps; others feel energized. One figure skater recently responded to our mental game survey and talked about what it feels like to perform in front of spectators. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Do Your Athletes Do Well in Poor Weather? When the weather outside is rainy, snowy, cold or windy, it can be difficult for young athletes to stay focused. For example, young tennis players often feel their mental game sink during hot temperatures, and they’re distracted early in the competition. Some … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Youth Sports Expert Interview Mark Greenburg, youth sports coach and former physical education teacher, says that emotional intelligence is one of the most important gifts sports parents can give their kids. In a recent interview with Ultimate Sports Parent Radio, Greenburg, the author of “Elevated Leadership, a Pitch-by-Pitch Guide to … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The Importance of Game Plans Game plans are blueprints for performing well or beating competitors during competition–and they’re only helpful if kids put them into action during games or competition. For example, in football, young athletes’ plan may be to identify the style of defense they’ll play during different game … Read Sport Psychology Tip