What’s The Problem With Perfectionism? Perfectionist sports kids show up to practice on time and work hard to improve their skills. Coaches like them because they follow directions. Sounds perfect, right? But there’s a problem with perfectionist sports kids—often, both in sports and life. Perfectionists set high expectations for themselves. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Clear Communication With Young Athletes A number of parents and coaches ask: What’s the best way to communicate with my young athletes? Clearly, communicating with your young athletes is critical. You want to stay in close communication for a number of reasons. –They may be unhappy with their coaches.–They may … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The Line Between Motivation And Pressure For Sports Parents A sports dad asks a thoughtful question: “My biggest struggle at the moment is truly finding out if my son wants to train and practice to please me ’cause I’m his dad, or because he really wants to improve his skills … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How Your Athletes Benefit When You Support Their Coach A parent asks a very thoughtful question: “What are the coaches thinking and how do I access this information, not to aide my child, but to become a better parent/coach/cheerleader/technician?” Truth is, if you want to understand what your coaches are … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How Parents Can Keep Kids in Sports A parent asks, “How do you encourage participation during the drop out years of adolescence?” Good question… As we have mentioned in the past, more than half of all young athletes drop out of sports by the age of 13. How can parents … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Mental Toughness Lessons From Olympians With the start of the summer Olympics, kids and teens have lots to learn from Olympians—dedication, perseverance and courage, for example. Daniel B. Peters, PhD., a psychologist who specializes in children and families, notes that many Olympians begin their training in early elementary school, even … Read Sport Psychology Tip