Focus in youth sports articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and overall consistency.
How to Deal With Distractions Sports kids struggle with a number of distractions. They include: These examples are external distractions. While external distractions are bothersome, they are not the most formidable challenge for athletes. Internal distractions are much more destructive and difficult to manage, particularly the “what if” trap. ‘What … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Girls in sports drop out at higher rates than boys, and a number of challenges lead to that problem, says Kathryn Ackerman, a physician and director of the Female Athlete Program in the sports medicine division of Boston Children’s Hospital. She’s also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Emotional Outbursts Lead to a Loss of Focus? You can’t take emotions out of the game. By nature, we are emotional beings. However, when young athletes don’t reel in their emotions, they will intensify, and their performance will decline rapidly. For example, Mary S. is a high school basketball player. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Lauren Cox’s Learned the Strength of Her Mindset Lauren Cox was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 7, and worried the condition would crush her dreams of being a high-level athlete. But she didn’t let her diabetes hold her back… Now 24, Cox led Baylor University to … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Young athletes go through a number of transitions in sports. They may transition from playing in high school to playing in college or community college. They may transition from college to Division 1, 2 or 3. They may be headed for college ball but get injured as seniors in high … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Help Athletes Welcome Friendly Competition Young athletes can reap many benefits from embracing friendly competition. Often, kids shy away from competing with their teammates. They feel as if they’re not as talented as their teammates or are afraid of being embarrassed in front of them. For example, a basketball player … Read Sport Psychology Tip