Youth sports psychology articles and strategies for sports parents of young athletes to improve mental game and performance.
Embracing Failure to Grow in Youth Sports There’s two ways young athletes can deal with failure and losses, says Eric DeMeulenaere, a Clark University professor, former soccer coach and author of “Reflections From the Field.” They can look at losses from a growth mindset, which means feeling the pain and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Playing Time in Youth Sports Here’s an interesting study result: If young athletes have to choose between losing and getting to play the whole game, they choose playing time. That’s a tidbit from Steven Frierman, a professor at Hofstra University and a former youth sports coach. Yes, that’s right. Winning … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Valuable Lessons For Sports Kids We work with a lot of young athletes today who struggle with perfectionism. Although perfectionism has many good qualities, it also can sabotage kids’ success in sports. Perfectionists tend to be highly motivated, strive to do their best, and they work hard. However, perfectionists may … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Help Sports Kids Have Fun In Sports Don’t bring a Nobel-Prize winning professor to teach your young sports kids the physics behind throwing a ball. Instead, focus on games like “Simon Says,” and “Hokey Pokey.” That’s the word from VJ Stanley, a retired college hockey coach and youth sports coach … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Can Young Athletes Learn Mental Skills? We think it’s never too early to educate young athletes on mental game principles that will help instill confidence and success in sports as they grow older. Providing a foundation of mental skills can help your young athletes understand the importance of a good … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What Should Sports Moms Avoid at Games? A lot of sports moms unknowingly hurt their young athlete’s confidence prior to games. Here are the top 11 sports mom no-no’s to avoid from Youth Sports Psychology: Please share the info graphic with other parents and coaches who you think would appreciate … Read Sport Psychology Tip