High Expectations in Youth Sports Parents, it’s easy to hurt your sports kids’ confidence before a game by saying or doing things that you think will help your athletes. You may think that you’re boosting kids’ confidence, but in reality, you might cause them to feel more expectations. For example, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What Pressures Sports Kids? Parents, think twice before investing a lot of money into youth sports. While your intentions may be well-meaning, your efforts may backfire. That’s the word from a new study about spending and youth sports. The author, Travis Dorsch, found that higher parental spending creates sports kids … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Sports Kids Who Can’t Let Go of Mistakes In the popular book, “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” one of the main characters—a racecar driver—talks about the importance of “having no memory” while competing. “Memory is time folding back on itself. To remember is to disengage from the present,” … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parental Pressure on Sports Kids Sports parents, did it ever occur to you that spending too much time watching your kids practice their sport makes it hard for them to take risks and grow as athletes? Huh? You might ask. What’s the link between watching them practice and ensuring they … 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
Goal Setting in Youth Sports Do you feel frustrated when your young athletes seem to lack motivation and direction? Would helping sports kids set goals be helpful? If so, you’re not alone. We often hear from sports parents and coaches who want to better understand how to help motivate their … Read Sport Psychology Tip