Kids in sports articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and overall consistency in sports.
Rewarding Positive Behavior in Youth Sports Just how important is giving positive feedback to young athletes? For our Ultimate Sports Parent Radio show, we recently checked in with baseball coach Rob Gelphman about this topic. He says giving kids compliments, especially for making small achievements, like fielding a ground ball, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Identifying Perfectionism in Young Athletes Lisa Cohn here from The Ultimate Sports Parent. I would like to share some quick tips about identifying perfectionism and fear of failure in young athletes. This is a really hot topic in youth sports. Several parents and coaches have shared their stories about young … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Staying Calm in Youth Sports A recent LA Times story featured Marisa Berger, a 15-year-old high school student who takes part in the modern pentathlon, an Olympic sport during which she shoots guns, fences, swims, rides horses and runs–all in single day. Her goal is to become “the complete athlete,” … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Changing Sports Kids’ Focus Young athletes want to feel like winners – whether or not they are always scoring and beating their opponents. Sports parents can help their kids feel good about their experiences simply by taking the focus off the win. David Jacobson, a spokesman for the Positive Coaching … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Dealing With Others Jealousy How do you help young athletes whose dreams in sports are undermined by others’ jealousy? In the case of Lela’s son, Frank, it’s a big challenge. Frank is a high school student and Olympic-caliber athlete in track. He is ranked nationally for his event and age group. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
By Lisa Cohn and Dr. Patrick Cohn Just how can practices improve young athletes’ confidence? And what does this mean for you as a sports parent? Longtime coach Marty Schupak, founder of Youth Sports Club, has lots to say about how efficient, engaging practices can boost kids’ confidence in sports. … Read Sport Psychology Tip