Youth sports psychology articles and strategies for sports parents of young athletes to improve mental game and performance.
Mental Game Resources Coach Tony Acosta came to us with a tough problem. His kids, 10- to 11-year-olds who play Australian rules football, didn’t believe they could beat a tough opponent in a championship game. “A few weeks ago a parent told me he had heard a boy say, ‘We … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Are You A Distraction? Brenda knows she makes mistakes as a sports parent. Not only is she willing to talk about her mental game no-nos. She’s eager to work on them and improve her sports parenting skills. Read on to learn about how she undermines her daughter’s skating and what … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Sports Kids Take Risks Darren, a sports dad, has a classic question about kids who perform well in practice, but freeze up during games. “My child is a 10-year-old hockey player. He is very good and has a great work ethic. He is a great practice player but when … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parents: Supporting Your Athletes’ Goals Barbara Hopewell, the sports mom to Summer Sanders–a swimmer who won four medals at the 1992 Olympic games–recently told us some of her sports parenting secrets. Hopewell, who was the subject of Sanders’ book, “Champions Are Raised, Not Born: How My Parents Made Me a … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Applying Sports Confidence to Everyday Life One of the biggest benefits to helping kids boost their confidence in sports is seeing kids transfer confidence they gain in sports to the rest of their lives. When kids lack confidence in sports, it holds back their enjoyment and performance. They play in … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Confidence During Competition Do your sports kids excel in practice, but lose confidence and under-perform during competition? That’s the main challenge high school track-and-field coach Lumuli Kyumba faces. But she has created some winning strategies for helping kids through this challenge. Read on to get her great tips that apply to … Read Sport Psychology Tip