Instilling Confidence in Young Athletes Why is confidence so important in youth sports? Because it’s a cure-all. It’s that simple. When kids feel confident, they don’t get scared. They don’t get worried or tense. They believe their skills are just as good as their competitors’. Confident athletes recover easily from … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Using Positive Mental Imagery For Success Too often, when young athletes prepare to compete or perform, they imagine in their minds the bad things that might happen to them—like getting beat out by a competitor or missing a critical shot. What they need to do instead is visualize success, says … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Separating Self-Esteem And Winning in Sports Colton, a motocross racer, has lots of confidence. But he hates to lose. He hates to lose so much that it takes up to a day to recover after a losing, he says. Here at the Ultimate Sports Parent and Kids’ Sports Psychology, we … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Motivate Young Athletes Without Pressuring Them Sam, a Division III basketball player, says it’s hard for him to motivate himself unless his coaches are watching him and pushing him along. As a young athlete, Sam’s not alone. We hear from many parents who say that their kids of all ages … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Young Athletes And Keeping Composure As sports parents, it’s your job to understand anger management. That’s because anger erupts too often on the field or in the gym—and it’s always disruptive and destructive. That’s the word from Joe Bouffard, director of the Youth Football Coaches Association, a group that teaches … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Sports Kids’ Confidence Sources Do your young athletes seek approval from their peers and coaches in order to feel confident about their abilities in sports? That’s true of Miguel, a 20-year-old who has played basketball recreationally for many years. He says that when his confidence sinks, he counts on his … Read Sport Psychology Tip