Sport Psychology articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and overall consistency.
Young Athletes And Self-Doubt Doubts can creep into your sports kids’ beings without them even knowing what’s happening to them. A player might step onto a basketball court, see a big player swoosh the ball, then start wondering, “Can I really make my shots?” Once kids open the door to … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Playing Time And It’s Influence on Sports Kids What do you do when your sports kids suddenly get less playing time? Or if they never got much to begin with? If it hurts their confidence—and often it will–you can take concrete steps to boost your kids’ mental game. “Three of … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Strong Mental Game Skill in Youth Sports Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Kirk Mango, a coach, national champion, 3-Time All-American, Hall of Fame Athlete and writer working on a book, “Becoming A True Champion” about why talent is over-rated. In this week’s Ultimate Sports Parent podcast: Mango talks about why … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The Importance of a Good Mental Game Talent is over-rated in youth sports. That’s the word from Kirk Mango, a youth sports coach, national champion, three-time All-American and Hall of Fame athlete. As a young athlete, Mango didn’t stand out as being especially talented, he says. But he was passionate … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parents Comparing Sports Kids Sports parents, you need to stop making comparisons. Only then will your kids stop taking part in this confidence-busting activity. Ah, but it’s so tempting to chat with your kids, spouse and neighbors about how Johnny’s free-throw shot is a little crooked compared to your kids’ … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Feeling Unsafe in Youth Sports Steve, a sports dad and coach, recently called us to tell us about the worst thing that can happen to a talented young athlete, from a mental-game perspective. A 14-year-old hockey goalie was offered a position on a high-level team in a different state, and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Sports Kids And Comfort Zones Sports mom Jennifer says her 11-year-old baseball player hates making mistakes, doesn’t want to disappoint people, and likes to stay in his comfort zone. His coaches have only kind words for the boy and don’t seem to recognize his challenges. Why? Because he’s a classic … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Comfort Zones in Youth Sports As part of Kids’ Sports Psychology’s Sports Parents’ Coach audio series, Lisa Cohn and Dr. Patrick Cohn give advice to Jennifer, the mother of an 11-year-old baseball player who is a perfectionist. Jennifer says that her son is afraid of failing and tends to stay … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Committed Sports Parents Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Dave Dupont, CEO of TeamSnap, a sports parent and coach about how to be a committed, balanced sports parent. In this week’s Ultimate Sports Parents podcast: Dunpont talks with Dr. Cohn about the commitment in sports. * Download the Committed, Balanced Sports Parents … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Composed Sports Kids Do your sports kids hate to make mistakes? Do they kick themselves over and over after a turnover, bad pass or loss? Worse, do they start playing tentatively, rather than giving it their all? Are you wondering how you can possibly help them change their attitude about … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Communicating With Young Athletes Sports parents and coaches, you need to be more aware of how you communicate with your young athletes through body language. That’s the message from Dr. Monika Schloder, a sports consultant who was trained in sports pedagogy, is the recipient of 14 international coaching and teaching … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Mental Stamina in Youth Sports Let’s say your young athlete is a golfer, baseball player or basketball player who needs to focus intensely before making a putt, throwing a pitch, hitting a ball or shooting a free-throw. The player generally has a strategy and an intention; the goal is to … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Setting Goals in Youth Sports It’s a great idea to set goals for sports kids. Goal-setting helps improve kids’ motivation and commitment, helps them stay focused on what to accomplish, helps them assess their strengths and weaknesses, and track their performance. But who should do it–the parent, the young athlete, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Tips to Ensure Your Kids Excel in Sports We all want our kids to excel in sports. But exactly what does it mean to excel — and how can parents best help young athletes? It’s all about perspective. Read on to learn great tips for ensuring your kids excel in … Read Sport Psychology Tip