Confidence in youth sports articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and consistency.
Sports kids should push past challenges by focusing on incremental steps rather than the bigger end goal, said Dianette Wells, a world-class mountaineer, ultra-endurance athlete and author. For example, to prepare for a hike in Malibu, Calif., she focused on improving her time by a minute each time she hiked. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Nobody Likes it When Coaches Yell at Them. Coaches should treat their athletes with respect. Unfortunately, events don’t always unfold as we would like. Coaches who yell feel as if it is a wake-up call and the best way to deliver feedback or instructions. Most of these coaches have no … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Young athletes realize a number of benefits when they embrace growth mindsets, said Iuri Melo, a youth sports coach, licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of SchoolPulise, which texts youth positive psychology statements to support their mental health. These kids tend to be optimists who try harder, for longer periods … 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
Build Confidence by Teaching Discipline and Self-Respect For Sabrina Yavil, a sports parent to three active boys, a big challenge was finding ways to get the kids to clean up after games and practices. “After sports, they would come home tired and dirty and they just wanted to veg out. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Do Your Kids Embrace the Underdog Role? When athletes are the underdog, they have two choices: believing they can win or believing they will lose. If kids believe they are going to lose, their bodies and minds will likely follow suit. They won’t prepare fully. Self-doubt will take over their … Read Sport Psychology Tip