Kids in sports articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and overall consistency in sports.
Young Athletes Compare Themselves to Other Athletes? Do they worry that they aren’t good enough when standing next to an opponent, or even a friend? Many young athletes don’t focus on their own talents because they are too busy comparing themselves to others. Making comparisons to other athletes leads to … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Positive Self-Talk in Youth Sports Even top athletes tell themselves, “I need to talk to myself more positively. I need to take a hard look at the way I talk to myself about sports.” In youth sports, kids need to do this, too, says Dan Schaeffer, Ph.D., who works with … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parents And Coaches: Help Athletes Avoid Distractions Parents and coaches, young athletes can become easily distracted especially during the spring season! First of all, there’s the weather. It’s so easy to get distracted when the weather is warmer and sunnier. Second, there’s all the excitement about the end of school … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What Should Sports Kids Focus On? Too often, young athletes focus too much on outcomes, such as the score, the win, or their statistics. The problem? This prevents them from playing in the moment and hurts confidence. When they focus too much on winning and statistics, it’s easy to get … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Sports Kids With Anxiety Many kids (especially teens) suffer from anxiety. One of their biggest causes of anxiety: What others think of them. In sports, this is a big issue. Kids spend a lot of time worrying about what their peers, parents or coaches will think of their performance. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parents: Motivating Your Young Athletes Sports parents and coaches tell us that one of their biggest challenges is motivating their young athletes– especially without pressuring them. Parents often say that their athletes have loads of talent, but don’t like to practice. Coaches sometimes say their kids like to goof off … Read Sport Psychology Tip