Teach Athletes Strategies to Control Their Thinking Are your sports kids anxious during stressful moments while they’re competing? Are they generally anxious as athletes? Why do so many athletes feel anxious during competitions? Two issues contribute to anxiety in sports. First, young athletes label themselves as anxious. When this happens, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
A Dad’s Frustration with His Athlete A sports dad says that his 11-year-old daughter is an accomplished table tennis player in Australia who recently ranked second in the Junior State Championship for kids age 11 and under. “Lots of parents and kids seem to have the impression she is good … Read Sport Psychology Tip
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 … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Communicating With Sports Kids After Games Sports parents often ask how to best communicate with their sports children after a game. This is a critical question; the messages that parents give their sports kids after a game can do wonders for their self-esteem and confidence, or on the contrary, do … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Young Athletes Overcome Negative Beliefs It’s common for young athletes to struggle with doubt and negative thoughts about their performance. They tell themselves that: This type of negative self-talk can be detrimental to your young athletes, and if it isn’t addressed, can lead to mental-game challenges. With each negative … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Sports Kids’ Focus Before Games Just before a game, young athletes need to focus on what’s going on right now—not on the past or future. That means they need to learn how to avoid concentrating on what others think of them, on the score or win or other outcomes. … Read Sport Psychology Tip