Mental Imagery in Youth Sports Maybe you’ve heard about athletes who use mental imagery to boost their performance and confidence. But what is it really and can it help your kids? Mental imagery is all about kids using feelings and pictures from memory to create images to practice their skills, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Focusing on The Process in Youth Sports You’ve all heard about how kids—and adults—get into a “flow” state while playing sports. But what is it and how do you help your kids experience it? Athletes describe a “flow” state or “being in the zone” with these words: in the bubble, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Sports Kids Focus There are so many ways sports kids get distracted when they’re playing sports or performing. For example, they might worry about what their friends, parents, or coaches are thinking of them. Worrying about what others think is a huge distraction. Think about it. When kids are … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What Hurts Sports Kids Confidence? Do your sports kids hold goofy beliefs about what boosts their performance? They may think that they’ll perform well if they wear a certain pair of socks, or sport a red headband, or eat five granola bars before a game. Often such ideas come from … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Repetition in Youth Sports To Build Confidence Parents, do you know practice and repetition can boost young athletes’ confidence? That’s the word from Dr. Vernon Williams, neurologist and medical director of the Kerlan-Jobe Center for Sports Neurology in Los Angeles. “High quality repetition will help your brain learn patterns,” he … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What Should Sports Kids Focus On? Too often, young athletes focus too much on outcomes, such as the score, the win, or their statistics. The problem? This prevents them from playing in the moment and hurts confidence. When they focus too much on winning and statistics, it’s easy to get … Read Sport Psychology Tip