Youth sports psychology articles and strategies for sports parents of young athletes to improve mental game and performance.
How to Help Young Athletes Overcome Worry A sports parent wrote to us recently to say… “My son is a top player but cannot perform any longer in matches when there is a crowd watching. He is 17, however he is as tight as a drum when playing matches now.” … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Athletes’ Acceptance of Mental Training Often, young athletes don’t understand the benefits of mental game training. They say they’re already mentally strong. Or they’re afraid that they’ll have to sit on a couch and reveal their innermost vulnerabilities. Mostly, they don’t understand what mental game training is–or its benefits. To … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Young Athletes who are Perfectionist “I have a son, age 15. He is skilled in many sports at school. Rugby, Hockey, XC running and Athletics (sprint and long jump where he holds the school record in both these).” “When he makes a mistake he can ‘lose’ it and can be … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Keep Athletes in the Game A sports parent asks: “My son is a HS freshman with huge potential in football but is not wanting to pursue it, he says he does not feel ‘passionate’ about it, even after being told by a few retired coaches and refs that … Read Sport Psychology Tip
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 … Read Sport Psychology Tip
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. … Read Sport Psychology Tip