Some young athletes hurt their performance because they are perfectionists. Perfectionism in sports does have some advantages for athlete. Perfectionists tend to be highly motivated, to work hard, and strive to be the best. However, perfectionism has its downside. Perfectionists often don’t perform up to their abilities because they’re afraid … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Bringing Practice Confidence to Games in Youth Sports A sports parent tells us her son really shines on the field during practice. “He’s way beyond all the other boys in terms of technical and tactical skills during practice.” However, here’s the “but…” And it’s a big one. During a game, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How Expectations Create Pressure in Sports Kids Youth coach Doug Donaldson says he knows intuitively when one of his young athletes feels pressured by a parent’s expectations. And he also knows the problems such well-meaning expectations can create in young athletes. For example, one of his player’s mothers wants the child … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Separating Self-Esteem And Winning in Sports Colton, a motocross racer, has lots of confidence. But he hates to lose. He hates to lose so much that it takes up to a day to recover after a losing, he says. Here at the Ultimate Sports Parent and Kids’ Sports Psychology, we … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Perfectionism in Youth Sports We recently checked in with Jane, a tennis pro, and her son, Jeff, a Division I tennis player. Jane had a lot to say about the value of focusing on the “mental game.” Why should you be interested in Jane’s story? Because it’s a classic example … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Perfectionism in Young Athletes Dr. Patrick Cohn, co-founder of The Ultimate Sports Parent discusses how fear of failure and perfectionism in young athletes can stifle their performance and success in sports. In this youth sports psychology video by Dr. Patrick Cohn you’ll learn: How perfectionism can hold young athletes back and … Read Sport Psychology Tip