Kids in sports articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and overall consistency in sports.
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
Why Do Young Athletes Fear Failure? A sports parent asks: “Our 12-year-old son is having challenges in baseball. He is playing not to make mistakes and seems to have lost his aggression and effectiveness. He is also the smallest, youngest kid on the team. What tips might you have for … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Encourage Sports Kids to Stay in Sports It’s important for sports parents to drop the sports fan mindset when watching their kids perform, said Bob Katz, a journalist, former sports dad and author of the kids’ book “EZ and the Intangibles” in a recent interview. “We are a … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Why Do Young Athletes Want to Quit Sports? Why do young athletes want to quit sports? We’d love to hear from you… Often, athletes quit sports because of pressures from outside sources, be it parents, coaches, or teammates, but reasons vary. Here’s what some young athletes have told us: These … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Pregame Routines for Young Athletes A sports parent asks: “My almost 13-year-old daughter is very talented, but her head gets in the way. She is a starter at striker. She has amazing games one day and the next she’s a different player, she’s inconsistent. What going one and how can … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Help Your Kids Stop Over Analyzing Their Performance A sports parent asks: “How do I reduce my child’s over-analysis of possible difficult in-game situations?” Concentrating on in-game mistakes is a common issue for sports kids, and hurts kids’ confidence. Do your sports children focus on the small details, … Read Sport Psychology Tip