Identifying Focus Issues in Young Athletes A sports parent writes: “My child gets fouled a lot, when the referee fails to make a call, or when it builds through a game, he sometimes loses control. This is usually anger boiling over. Also, when an opposing player talks to him (taunts) … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Mental Preparation For Young Athletes A parent asks: “My child doesn’t seem as mentally ready as some of the other kids in his league. I need concrete ideas on what to say and do to help my child prepare for competition.” “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Pregame Mental Preparation For Young Athletes A sports parent asks: “My son is an excellent baseball player, but his coach will barely play him. My son is very frustrated and has tried to talk to the coach a couple of times about getting more playing time, but the coach has … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parents: Help Kids Boost Pregame Concentration Just before kids compete, they need to focus as much as possible on what’s happening right now, not on the past or future. They will do better if they can avoid focusing on common distractions–what others think of them, the score, the win, or … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Coaches Who Distract Young Athletes By Yelling A sports parent asks: “How do athletes handles coaches who are constantly yelling instructions? It appears that this distracts and confuses athletes more than it helps.” The answer to this question depends in part on how old the athlete is… Young players, in … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Sports Kids’ Focus Before Games Just before a game, young athletes need to focus on what’s going on right now—not on the past or future. That means they need to learn how to avoid concentrating on what others think of them, on the score or win or other outcomes. … Read Sport Psychology Tip