Is it Hurtful or Beneficial For Kids to Specialize in Sports? These days, kids as young as 7 have begun specializing in one sport. That means that they are practicing the sport year-round to boost their performance- not just for the fun of it. Such early specialization–and specialization in general–has … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Young Athletes Compare Themselves to Other Athletes? Do they worry that they aren’t good enough when standing next to an opponent, or even a friend? Many young athletes don’t focus on their own talents because they are too busy comparing themselves to others. Making comparisons to other athletes leads to … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Positive Self-Talk in Youth Sports Even top athletes tell themselves, “I need to talk to myself more positively. I need to take a hard look at the way I talk to myself about sports.” In youth sports, kids need to do this, too, says Dan Schaeffer, Ph.D., who works with … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Confidence When Trying New Youth Sports Lisa here from Kids’ Sports Psychology and the Ultimate Sports Parent… As a mom who played three sports, I’m very eager for my youngest, 5-year-old Michael, to play sports. But I signed him up for a soccer team and was quickly disappointed. He liked … 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
Helping Sports Kids With Anxiety Many kids (especially teens) suffer from anxiety. One of their biggest causes of anxiety: What others think of them. In sports, this is a big issue. Kids spend a lot of time worrying about what their peers, parents or coaches will think of their performance. … Read Sport Psychology Tip