Youth sports psychology articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance and consistency.
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
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
Young athletes realize a number of benefits when they embrace growth mindsets, said Iuri Melo, a youth sports coach, licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of SchoolPulise, which texts youth positive psychology statements to support their mental health. These kids tend to be optimists who try harder, for longer periods … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Build Confidence by Teaching Discipline and Self-Respect For Sabrina Yavil, a sports parent to three active boys, a big challenge was finding ways to get the kids to clean up after games and practices. “After sports, they would come home tired and dirty and they just wanted to veg out. … Read Sport Psychology Tip