Positive Actions Empower Young Athletes What kinds of adversity have your sports kids encountered? Perhaps they have experienced an injury or long-term sickness. Maybe they were cut from a team or benched by their coach. They could have bombed a big competition or missed the playoffs. They could also experience … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Be Mentally Prepared for Adversity Do your sports kids embrace unexpected challenges, seeing them as a way to discover new ways to keep moving forward? Or do these challenges dissuade them from reaching their athletic goals? Kids need to expect the unexpected. In fact, they should prepare for … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Help Perfectionist Young Athletes Many top athletes say that they’re perfectionists. When they say this, sports kids may assume that perfectionism will help them attain their full potential. While perfectionism has advantages, it can actually prevent young athletes from reaching their potential. While perfectionists show up for practice … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Sports Specialization is Not Always a Good Thing Christie Pearce Rampone, a two-time Women’s World Cup champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and former captain of the US Women’s National Soccer Team teamed up with sports neuropsychologist and brain health expert Dr. Kristine Keane to provide tips to sports parents. The … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Fighting Perfectionism in Young Athletes Do your young athletes only focus on mistakes after they compete? Do they criticize their performance instead of focusing on learning from their mistakes? Do they ignore what they did well? If so, your sports kids are likely perfectionists. They tend to be hard on … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Do Your Sports Kids Get Nervous About Competing? Some young athletes believe they can’t be successful if they’re nervous. But this isn’t always true. Those who get nervous believe there’s nothing they can do to control these feelings. As a result, they often perform tentatively and don’t do well. They … Read Sport Psychology Tip