Youth sports psychology articles and strategies for sports parents of young athletes to improve mental game and performance.
How can Sports Parents Stay Calm and Composed? What grade would you give yourself for your ability to stay calm and composed when your child competes against elite competition? High-level competition doesn’t just test athletes—it tests parents. Watching your child perform in high-pressure environments challenges your ability to regulate emotions, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Do Your Kids Embrace the Underdog Role? When athletes are the underdog, they have two choices: believing they can win or believing they will lose. If kids believe they are going to lose, their bodies and minds will likely follow suit. They won’t prepare fully. Self-doubt will take over their … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How To Build Confidence Early Some young athletes seem to ooze confidence. They appear unfazed during championship games, in the final minutes of a contest or when trailing late in a game. Why do these athletes possess unwavering confidence? Is there something in their DNA that generates confidence? Confidence is … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Truth About Mental Training for Kids Do your athletes avoid mental coaching because they don’t understand it? To help your athletes, you must first know why athletes avoid mental coaching… Based on our survey with sports parents, a whopping 53% of the parents said their athletes resist mental training–for many … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Solving Problems as an Athlete Competitive sports have their fair share of ups and downs, and most players experience highs and lows during their career. When players are at a low point, they sometimes feel like they are the only ones who experience tough times. For example, if your young … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Do You Feed Off the Crowd or Lose Focus? Crowd noise can be a big distraction in sports competitions. Whether it’s cheering, booing, taunting or hurling insults, the crowd’s impact on young athletes can be significant. The people sitting in the stands can only influence the outcome of a competition … Read Sport Psychology Tip