Confidence in young athletes articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and consistency.
Research shows that girls’ identities can become too wrapped up in sports, according to Marlene Holmes, a mental health advocate, sports social worker and regional director at Netball America. “What the research shows is that for young boys, when they are introduced to a sport before the age of 8, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Confidence is Key in Youth Sports Confidence helps young athletes accomplish a lot in their sport. However, for some athletes, crushing it at a high level can increase the pressure to stay on top or perform consistently at a high level. High expectations from the outside world and within can … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Our brain tends to lean toward negativity. “The brain doesn’t understand today the difference between protecting us from a lion or a snake and protecting us from emotional states,” said Debbie O ‘Connell, president, Live Positive and Golf Positive and vice president, LPGA Northeast section. The brain tends to embrace negative emotional … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Without grit and discipline, young athletes won’t be successful, said Cary Knox, retired head coach and author of I Believe, which explores the legacies of Illinois sports legends. “You have to be gritty to be successful in just about anything you do,” he said. “You have to have a willingness to get … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How do you Deal with Disappointment as an Athlete Disappointment comes in all shapes and sizes for young athletes. They may experience losses, underperform in a competition, have reduced playing minutes, fall short of a personal best or fail to make a cut for a championship meet. Every athlete in … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Young athletes often stop enjoying sports because they’re perfectionists, compare themselves to others or “mind read,” or make assumptions about what others are thinking, according to Jaclyn Ellis, a mental performance coach at Peak Performance Sports Related Kids Sports Psychology Articles: *Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes*Subscribe to The Sports … Read Sport Psychology Tip