How to Help Athletes be Relaxed before a Game Parents want to know what to tell their athletes before a game that will help them perform well and feel less pressure… For example, parents say: *Do you coach your kids on what to do? *Do you let them mentally prepare on their own? *Do you wait for them to talk about the game before saying anything? Just before a game, you want to … [Read more...]
Why Young Athletes Avoid Mental Training
Athletes' Acceptance of Mental Training Often, young athletes don’t understand the benefits of mental game training. They say they’re already mentally strong. Or they’re afraid that they’ll have to sit on a couch and reveal their innermost vulnerabilities. Mostly, they don’t understand what mental game training is--or its benefits. To help sports kids embrace the benefits, let them hear … [Read more...]
The Expectations Trap for Perfectionists
Young Athletes who are Perfectionist "I have a son, age 15. He is skilled in many sports at school. Rugby, Hockey, XC running and Athletics (sprint and long jump where he holds the school record in both these)." "When he makes a mistake he can ‘lose’ it and can be seen to ‘give in’. In team sport it could be that he thinks he didn’t make that tackle and should have, his head can go down and … [Read more...]
Parents: Are Your Athletes Having Fun?
How to Keep Athletes in the Game A sports parent asks: “My son is a HS freshman with huge potential in football but is not wanting to pursue it, he says he does not feel ‘passionate’ about it, even after being told by a few retired coaches and refs that he could definitely get a scholarship. He's saying that he doesn't want to play football now and I think he is wasting huge potential. I … [Read more...]
Parents: Do You Want Kids to Have Fun or Perform Well?
How to Focus on The Fun in Youth Sports A sports mom wrote: "My son is 8 years old and has been playing hockey since he was 4. He has been on the “travel” team for two years now... He loves to play but has absolutely no drive to win. I do not know how to change his mentality to understand that sports are not just for enjoyment but are also to be won, especially team sports." The parents of … [Read more...]
When Athletes Play to Not Make Mistakes
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 him?" When kids play to avoid mistakes, they’re struggling with fear of failure in which they often worry about … [Read more...]
Why Sports Parents Should Drop the Sports Fan Mindset
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 nation of sports fans," said Katz. "We tend to be sports crazed." Katz argues that the informality and fun integral to … [Read more...]
Parents, Have Your Kids Wanted to Quit Sports?
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: "My mom wont let me quit basketball even though I don't enjoy it anymore. She’s always yelling at me... I … [Read more...]
When Athletes Worry About What Friends Think
Do Your Athletes Have a Need to Impress Friends? A young athlete asks: "I’m a volleyball player on the same team for the third year in a row. We recently played another team which one of my best friends plays on, and I played great until she came in and everything went wrong. She had never seen me play and I made every possible mistake I could when usually I make very few. Is this … [Read more...]
Sports Kids’ Performance and Concistency
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 we help her?" There are many reasons young athletes may not be consistent performers. These reasons … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 18
- Next Page »