Youth sports psychology articles and strategies for sports parents of young athletes to improve mental game and performance.
Goals not Expectations Are Good for Kids It’s important to go into a competitive season with realistic goals. They will motivate and focus young athletes. Sports kids should not go into a season with super high expectations. That will make them feel pressured, anxious and distracted. Let’s compare goals and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Reduce Pressure in Youth Sports Have you ever heard your sports kids say, “Sports is my whole life,” or “I live for basketball,” or “Eat. Sleep, Play soccer.” Many athletes wrap their self-worth around sports. They surround themselves with like-minded teammates who are their main source of social … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Interview With Kelly Gray For kids who feel pressured by parents or others, youth sports can feel like a job they don’t enjoy. That’s the word from Kelly Gray, a former professional soccer player who has worked with youth sports organizations for many years. He’s founder of Kelly Gray Sports … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Help Kids Learn to Adjust Even though some young athletes experience great practices and often feel confident during practice, they still question their practice or training. They do this for reasons both rational and irrational… They ask themselves if they trained enough this week. They wonder if the … Read Sport Psychology Tip
3 Ways Teen Athletes Lose Confidence Sports kids can work on boosting their confidence even when they’re not playing. Help them focus on identifying and overcoming common confidence busters. Here are the top three: Let’s take a look at these issues. Help kids identify whether they fall victim to these … Read Sport Psychology Tip
“Life as a Team Sport” Campaign It’s still possible for kids to stay involved in sports during COVID-19 isolation, says Spencer Gordon, partnership manager for the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Portland. PCA, which aims to create better athletes and people, has launched a “Life as a Team Sport” campaign, which … Read Sport Psychology Tip