Sports parenting and youth sports psychology articles for sports parents of young athletes to improve mental game and performance in kids
Supporting Teammates in Youth Sports When kids strike out at bat on Brad Jubin’s baseball team, the other players standing in the dugout raise four fingers to show their support. This is a great way to lift young kids’ spirits after they make mistakes, says the co-founder of “A Team … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Fear of Failure in Sports Kids Courtney Johnson, a former silver Olympic medalist who is now a sports parent, says parents can predict what kind of mental game issues their kids will experience in sports-if they simply pay attention. And they need to pay attention, she says. Mental toughness is … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Sport Specialization For Kids Jack Malley, sports dad, coach, and author of “Meet The Lunatics Who Run Your Kids’ Sports Leagues,” says he’s made quite a few mistakes as a sports dad and coach. But allowing his kids to specialize was not one of those mistakes. For example, Malley once … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Staying Focused in Youth Sports Sports kids would benefit much more from sports if they were less distracted and had more fun. That’s the word from Troy Drayton, coordinator of youth programs for the Miami Dolphins. Drayton, who visits elementary and middle schools three days a week to teach about … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Dropout Rates Among Female Athlete Young women drop out of sports—starting at about the age of 13—at twice the rate of young men, says Dr. Joan Steidenger, a licensed psychologist who works with athletes. Why? It’s all about their relationships, says Steidenger, who is writing a book about girls in … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The “I Want it Now” Attitude One of the biggest challenges sports kids face is a “I want it now” attitude, says Kirk Mango, a three-time Hall of Fame Athlete, National Champion and author of “Becoming A True Champion.” If kids are going to make the most of their youth … Read Sport Psychology Tip