Patrick Cohn

Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D., earned his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Virginia in 1991, specializing in sports psychology, and founded Peak Performance Sports in 1994. Dr. Cohn is an author, professional speaker and one of the nation’s leading mental game coaches. His coaching programs for young athletes instill confidence, composure and effective mental strategies that enable athletes and teams to reach their performance goals.

Why Young Athletes Give Up in Sports

Youth Sports Psychology

Perfectionism In Young Athletes We recently received a note from a parent about how her 10-year-old’s high expectations lead her to give up when faced with adversity. This is common when a child, like this softball player, has achieved success. She has pitched many perfect games, including at state playoffs, … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Athletes Who Doubt Their Abilities Before Games

Youth Sports Psychology

How To Improve Kids’ Self-Confidence One of the biggest challenges young athletes face before a game, parents tell us, is doubt about their abilities. In fact, that’s what we see, too. Just before a game, kids start telling themselves that they’re no good at making three-pointers, that they don’t think … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Athletes Who Worry About Who’s Watching Them Play

Youth Sports Psychology

Help Young Athletes Develop A Pregame Routine Just before a game, a number of challenges hurt kids’ confidence. A big one among them, parents tell us, are worries about who will come to kids’ games to watch them perform. Young athletes worry about coaches, friends, girlfriends and boyfriends, parents, and … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Do You Try to Give Your Athletes Confidence?

Youth Sports Psychology

Confidence For Young Athletes A parent asked us in our recent survey, “How do you get kids ready and to games on time? What do you do to make them feel confident?” It’s critical to understand that you, as parents, can’t MAKE your kids feel confident; athletes must earn their … Read Sport Psychology Tip