Kids Sports Psychology articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and consistency.
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
Posting notes at home, trying hypnosis and passing a ball from the left hand to the right are three ways sports kids can combat negative thinking. These techniques are designed to help kids’ minds switch from negativity to positivity, said Ignacio Segovia, a psychologist, certified hypnotherapist and mental performance coach who … Read Sport Psychology Tip
In this video, sport parents will learn how to minimize putting pressure on their athletes at home and how to help them feel more confident and relaxed instead. Peak Performance Sports, LLC helps athletes and performers improve mental skills for success in sports. We work with athletes in all sports … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Do You Feed Off the Crowd or Lose Focus? Crowd noise can be a big distraction in sports competitions. Whether it’s cheering, booing, taunting or hurling insults, the crowd’s impact on young athletes can be significant. The people sitting in the stands can only influence the outcome of a competition … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What to do if Your Kids Fear Mental Performance Coaching Young athletes fear doing mental game coaching because they don’t understand what it involves… Based on our survey with sports parents, we know kids fear what they do not understand… Young athletes think mental coaching is therapy for problem kids. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How do emotions affect kids’ competitive performance? Have there been competitions where a bad officiating call mentally knocked your kids off their game? There are six facts about competitive emotions: All athletes experience a wide range of emotions, more so than all other living things. Learning how to manage emotions … Read Sport Psychology Tip