Youth sports psychology articles and strategies for sports parents of young athletes to improve mental game and performance.
Finding Flow in Sports Brooks Elms, a youth sports coach and former Division 3 player for NYU, says that as a young athlete, he was very anxious and too focused on winning. He brings that background to his coaching, helping kids cope with butterflies and focus on what’s most important. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What to Say on the Car Ride Home After the Game This week, we are following up on a video we shared last week about “The Car Ride Home“. We provide tips on how parents can help kids feel confident after the game… Sports parents often unwittingly make the mistake … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The Car Ride Home A viral video, “The Ride Home,” by True Sport Pur, generated many interesting comments from college and professional athletes. The video shows–on the car ride home–a dad scolding his child for not working hard enough, and the young boy doesn’t respond, but looks very sad. The … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Kids Who Fail to Perform Well in Competition A sports grandparent says, “I have a 10-year-old grandson who plays little league baseball. When he started playing at 8 years old he was very aggressive and very good at making contact with the baseball. The last two years his confidence has … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to be a Successful Sports Parent A parent asks us how parents of successful athletes have been involved in their athletes’ sports experience. The most well-known example is Tiger Woods’ father. Earl Woods started teaching Tiger how to play golf before the age of two years old and coached … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Athletes who Lose Confidence with Constructive Criticism “I’m a female soccer player. I’m often challenged mentally when playing and this usually happens at training sessions, my teammate would tell me how I can’t do a certain thing eg. Properly marking my opponent.” “I end up questioning my ability to do … Read Sport Psychology Tip