Kids Would Rather Lose and Get to Play the Whole Game [Podcast]

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 isn’t everything to young sports kids, he says. Often, having fun, being with friends, and getting a lot of playing time are more important, he says.

As parents, if you’re looking to motivate your young athletes, it’s critical to understand why they play and what they enjoy, says Frierman.

Sometimes-and unfortunately-they’re playing sports because their parents want to live through them and are insisting they play. That’s not a great reason for kids to participate.

Do you understand why your kids are playing?

Coaches, too, need to understand why kids are participating in youth sports and what their goals are…

Sometimes, coaches will ask parents and kids to fill out a survey at the beginning of the season that identifies why the kids are playing and what they want to get out of it. That’s a good idea. It helps ensure that parents, kids and coaches are all on the same page.

While you’re trying to understand what motivates your young athletes, it’s important to try to underplay the value of winning.

Both parents and coaches should focus on setting goals to support their athletes’ mbotivation. These can be goals athletes enjoy reaching for-stealing five bases, for example. Set these goals based on the position the child is playing, Frierman suggests.

This will help kids focus better and play in the here-and-now. And guess what? If they’re focusing on the present-and not on the win-they’re more likely to perform well and win!

If coaches want to reward kids, they should consider giving them positions they want and other perks associated with playing their sport, he says.

Want to learn more about how to motivate kids and ensure they boost their performance and happiness in sports?

At Kids’ Sports Psychology, we’ve got loads of resources for you, including our interview with Frierman. Exclusive members of Kids’ Sports Psychology have immediate access to that interview here:

Kids’ Sport Psychology Network

To listen to the first half of this interview, use the player below:

In addition to listening to Frierman’s interview, exclusive members of Kids’ Sports Psychology have access to other audio interviews from experts, e-books, articles and resources designed to help kids boost their confidence and make the most of their sports experience.

What’s more, we’ve got e-books-written for both kids and parents–additional expert interviews, articles, videos, and much more!

What do people say about our resources?

“I love your website. I love everything I’ve gotten on it. Mental toughness is really important in sports. Kids need tactics for dealing with all the pressures.”
~Courtney Johnson, a silver Olympic medalist water polo player who is now a sports parent

Help ensure your sports kids make the most of their physical abilities and enjoy sports!

P.S. If you’d like some great tips for motivating young athletes and boosting their confidence, listen to our interview with Frierman here: Kids’ Sport Psychology Network

Help Your Young Athletes Improve Focus In Sports!

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These issues will cause their concentration and performance to suffer!

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What are parents and coaches saying?

“I read your report and prepared a one-page summary for my team. I asked the team to attend a 10am training session on Saturday before the final on Sunday. (I told parents) they must obtain the one-page summary handout from me and ask a parent to read it to them until they understood what it meant…My boys succeeded! We beat a team that no one could beat during the year, that was coached by a former professional player that had sons of former Professional players in the team and as a result of believing in themselves, they won. In my humble opinion , I look beyond the game and hope the kids have learned a lesson in life that you really can do almost anything if you put your mind to it. We salute you and the wonderful work you do.”
~Anthony (Tony) Costa, coach

“We just completed the first ten tips, it has helped tremendously for (our daughter) and us. We’ve learned to keep our behavior and comments in check. She’s letting mistakes happen and not worrying about them, she’s now just moves on to the next play with the same attitude as before the mistakes. She’s playing more aggressively all game. Her coach even mentioned that whatever we are doing, keep doing because it’s working.”
~Scott, Sports Dad

Help Young Athletes Overcome Perfectionist Challenges in Sports!