perfectionism is young athletes

Helping Youth Baseball Players Deal with Failure

Ultimate Sports Parent Podcast

Strategies to Help Sports Kids Overcome Failure Fear of failure affects sports children in all types of sports, but can be especially challenging in baseball, says Nova Newcomer, executive director, Friends of Baseball, in Portland, Oregon. “The tough challenge with baseball is it’s a failure-based sport,” says Newcomer, whose organization … Read Sport Psychology Tip

How to Help Kids That Want to Quit Sports

How to Help Kids That Want to Quit Sports

Helping Kids Focus on The Process Instead of Outcome A young athlete writes: “I want to quit wrestling because I have too much anxiety with the pain and my failure. I have found other hobbies like lifting by myself or with a friend. I just don’t like wrestling and I … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Should Sports Kids Expect to Perform Without Mistakes?

Coping With Mistakes

Helping Young Athletes Move on After Mistakes A sport parent asks: “My kids keep hearing that they are supposed to aim for a game without mistakes, but to expect that mistakes are going to happen nonetheless. They ask me if it is possible though, to actually have a game with … Read Sport Psychology Tip

When Young Athletes Struggle With Self-Doubt

When Young Athletes Struggle With Self-Doubt

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

Solve This Source of Pressure for Young Athletes

Youth-Sources-of-Pressure1

Helping Young Athletes Unlock Their Performance A sports parent asks: “I have a son who is a junior baseball player. To watch him warm up and practice, he looks the part and has already got some small college offers. He fits your description of a perfectionist and therefore lacks confidence. … Read Sport Psychology Tip