Youth sports psychology articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and consistency.
Does Bad Officiating Derail Your Athlete? One moment your young athlete is focused, competing well, and in control. Then the referee makes a call they disagree with. Suddenly, everything changes. Their body language drops. Their focus disappears. Their performance falls apart. This is one of the most common challenges young … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Too often, sports kids see their identity as being athletes, said Tiffany Yvonne, founder of Playmaker Solutions, where she helps young athletes build emotional intelligence and confidence. When their identity is all about sports, they can quickly lose confidence if they make mistakes or lose games. ?”When you know who … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Young Athletes Stay Confident During a Shooting Slump Where do your child’s thoughts go when they are in a shooting slump? Do they get frustrated and try to “fix their shot” mid-game? Do they obsess over stats, numbers, or results instead of staying engaged in the game? Do they … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How Can Parents Help Athletes Improve Focused? As a sports parent, how often do you notice your child physically present in a game—but mentally somewhere else? One of the biggest challenges across youth and competitive sports is mental engagement. Skill, strength, and conditioning matter, but when focus drifts, decision-making declines, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What Athletes Can Do When Coaches Pick Favorites Parents are very emotional about their kids’ youth sports experiences. They invest a significant amount of money in youth sports, which raises their expectations. Because of these factors, they may feel that coaches favor other players when their kids aren’t getting the playing time … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Can Young Athlete Train Their Brain to Perform Like a Pro? Visualization in youth sports works—and if athletes receive feedback in real time, they can improve their focus and performance, said Konstantin Sonkin, a neuroscientist and CEO at i-BrainTech. He developed a sports-specific training game platform that offers insights into … Read Sport Psychology Tip