Youth Sports Psychology Articles

How to Set Standards of Excellence for Young Athletes 

How to Set Stands of Excellence for Young Athletes 

What Does “Setting the Standard” Mean in Youth Sports? Setting a high standard refers to establishing a level of quality, expectation or performance. Some teams set winning as the standard. Often, teams with a high expectation of winning adopt the credo, “Championship or Bust.” While winning may be the goal, … Read Sport Psychology Tip

How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistakes While Competing

How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistake While Competing

Kids Confidence is Directly Impacted by Their Mistakes All athletes make mistakes. But how kids respond to mistakes is critical. For example, if a player misses the last shot of a basketball game, will that athlete pass up shots late in future games? If a young athlete drops a pass … Read Sport Psychology Tip

When Youth Sports Feels Toxic, Athletes Need These Skills 

When Youth Sports Feels Toxic, Athletes Need These Skills

What Skills Help Youth Athletes with Toxic Team Environments? When coaches are negative or condescending toward their players or when parents argue with refs, youth sports can feel toxic to young athletes. That can lead to anxiety, depression and fear of failure. This behavior from coaches can undermine athletes’ self-esteem … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Creating a Culture of Connection and Encouragement in Youth Sports

Building Confidence in Athletes

Kaig Lightner founded Portland Community Football Club 10 years ago, providing coach mentors, free uniforms and no-cost or low-cost opportunities for immigrants and others living in low-income communities. The program focuses on creating a culture of connection, encouragement and trust. Player growth is more important than winning games.  Now the … Read Sport Psychology Tip