Athletes’ Acceptance of Mental Training Often, young athletes don’t understand the benefits of mental game training. They say they’re already mentally strong. Or they’re afraid that they’ll have to sit on a couch and reveal their innermost vulnerabilities. Mostly, they don’t understand what mental game training is–or its benefits. To … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Young Athletes who are Perfectionist “I have a son, age 15. He is skilled in many sports at school. Rugby, Hockey, XC running and Athletics (sprint and long jump where he holds the school record in both these).” “When he makes a mistake he can ‘lose’ it and can be … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Keep Athletes in the Game A sports parent asks: “My son is a HS freshman with huge potential in football but is not wanting to pursue it, he says he does not feel ‘passionate’ about it, even after being told by a few retired coaches and refs that … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Athletes who Fear Mistakes A young athlete writes, “Sometimes I feel as if I don’t want to keep playing club volleyball and as a person who truly LOVES volleyball I have never ever met a team and coach who puts me down when I make a mistake rather than get … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Kaig Lightner, founder of Portland Community Football, a soccer club for low-income kids, says one of his main challenges is helping the kids–many of them Hispanic–deal with bullying. “These are 10-year-olds who get called racist names on the field. We have to work with the kids and help them figure … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Focus on The Fun in Youth Sports A sports mom wrote: “My son is 8 years old and has been playing hockey since he was 4. He has been on the “travel” team for two years now… He loves to play but has absolutely no drive to win. … Read Sport Psychology Tip