Athletes who Fear Mistakes A young athlete writes, “Sometimes I feel as if I don’t want to keep playing club volleyball and as a person who truly LOVES volleyball I have never ever met a team and coach who puts me down when I make a mistake rather than get me backup and help me improve. Every time I make a mistake my (current) coach tends to take me out of the game and let the other girls play and … [Read more...]
Parents: Do You Want Kids to Have Fun or Perform Well?
How to Focus on The Fun in Youth Sports A sports mom wrote: "My son is 8 years old and has been playing hockey since he was 4. He has been on the “travel” team for two years now... He loves to play but has absolutely no drive to win. I do not know how to change his mentality to understand that sports are not just for enjoyment but are also to be won, especially team sports." The parents of … [Read more...]
When Athletes Play to Not Make Mistakes
Why Do Young Athletes Fear Failure? A sports parent asks: "Our 12-year-old son is having challenges in baseball. He is playing not to make mistakes and seems to have lost his aggression and effectiveness. He is also the smallest, youngest kid on the team. What tips might you have for him?" When kids play to avoid mistakes, they’re struggling with fear of failure in which they often worry about … [Read more...]
Why Sports Parents Should Drop the Sports Fan Mindset
How to Encourage Sports Kids to Stay in Sports It's important for sports parents to drop the sports fan mindset when watching their kids perform, said Bob Katz, a journalist, former sports dad and author of the kids' book "EZ and the Intangibles” in a recent interview. "We are a nation of sports fans," said Katz. "We tend to be sports crazed." Katz argues that the informality and fun integral to … [Read more...]
Parents, Have Your Kids Wanted to Quit Sports?
Why Do Young Athletes Want to Quit Sports? Why do young athletes want to quit sports? We'd love to hear from you... Often, athletes quit sports because of pressures from outside sources, be it parents, coaches, or teammates, but reasons vary. Here’s what some young athletes have told us: "My mom wont let me quit basketball even though I don't enjoy it anymore. She’s always yelling at me... I … [Read more...]
Help Young Athletes Set Goals for the Season
Setting Positive Sports Goals For The New Year As a new year begins, you want to help your athlete set appropriate goals for their athletic activities this year. Goal setting is an essential piece of the sports child’s mental game. As Michael Jordan said: "You have to know your goals before you can do them." Setting appropriate goals is a fundamental part of growing as an athlete, … [Read more...]
When Athletes Worry About What Friends Think
Do Your Athletes Have a Need to Impress Friends? A young athlete asks: "I’m a volleyball player on the same team for the third year in a row. We recently played another team which one of my best friends plays on, and I played great until she came in and everything went wrong. She had never seen me play and I made every possible mistake I could when usually I make very few. Is this … [Read more...]
Sports Kids’ Performance and Concistency
Pregame Routines for Young Athletes A sports parent asks: "My almost 13-year-old daughter is very talented, but her head gets in the way. She is a starter at striker. She has amazing games one day and the next she's a different player, she's inconsistent. What going one and how can we help her?" There are many reasons young athletes may not be consistent performers. These reasons … [Read more...]
How to Help Athletes Focus on The Process
Athletes Who Are More Confident in Practice Than Competition A sports parent wrote in and said: "Somehow on the courts, my son still lacks confidence. He has great techniques and I know that he can be a great player. But on the court he freezes, he feels scared and once he knows he sees competition that is better, his performance drops as well. Please help me on how to help him overcome … [Read more...]
Helping Athletes Who Get Timid During Competition
How Can Young Athletes Trust Their Skills in Games? A sports parent asks: "When my son plays certain sports, especially basketball, there's clearly and no hesitation to "mix it up" aggressively. He doesn't always translate skills to game situations... he often fails to let his skills flourish due to the lack of aggressiveness and/or toughness. (The best example I can provide is that when he drives … [Read more...]
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