Sports parents need to show their young athletes that they care about more than the score and the win.
That’s the word from Wayne LaMarre, clinical professor and director of the athletic training program at the University of New England. LaMarre is also on staff for the Women’s National Ice Hockey team and was recently a guest on our Ultimate Sports Parent podcast.
“These athletes are dealing with the constant knowledge that there is someone waiting in the wings to take their place,” he says. This can cause the players to feel anxious and impacts their ability to form a cohesive team.
If young athletes experience the same type of worries about being replaced, their teams can feel less cohesive, too. It’s important to avoid threatening them with being replaced if they perform poorly in a game. It’s also important for parents to show players they care about their mental and physical health–more than the score or win, he says.
Listen to Learn More:
Related Kids Sports Psychology Articles:
- How Young Athletes Can Win Close Games
- Helping Young Athletes ‘Wing it’ During Games
- When Athletes Think They Should Win Warmups
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The Confident Sports Kid
When kids lack confidence, they doubt themselves, stop taking risks, play tentatively, and are hard on themselves. As a result, kids often lose their motivation to improve. Ultimately, these barriers keep them from enjoying sports and making the most of their physical talent.
“The Confident Sports Kid” program is actually two programs: one that teaches sports parents how to boost their kids’ confidence, and another that teaches young athletes age 8 to 18 how to improve their self talk, avoid negative thinking, overcome expectations that limit confidence, and much more. The program will help kids boost their confidence in sports and life…and enjoy sports more.