{"id":11139,"date":"2024-07-26T09:46:04","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T13:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=11139"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:11:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T15:11:21","slug":"helping-young-athletes-control-emotions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-control-emotions\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Young Athletes Control Emotions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/control-emotions.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/control-emotions.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/control-emotions.png 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/control-emotions-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_emotions_affect_kids_competitive_performance\"><\/span>How do emotions affect kids\u2019 competitive performance? <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-control-emotions\/#How_do_emotions_affect_kids_competitive_performance\" >How do emotions affect kids\u2019 competitive performance?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-control-emotions\/#There_are_six_facts_about_competitive_emotions\" >There are six facts about competitive emotions:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-control-emotions\/#Emotions_And_Your_Performance\" >Emotions And Your Performance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-control-emotions\/#Controlling_Emotions\" >Controlling Emotions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-control-emotions\/#Related_Youth_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Youth Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-control-emotions\/#Ultimate_Sports_Parent_Workbook_and_CD_Program\" >Ultimate Sports Parent Workbook and CD Program<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have there been competitions where a bad officiating call mentally knocked your kids off their game?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"There_are_six_facts_about_competitive_emotions\"><\/span>There are six facts about competitive emotions:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All athletes are emotional beings&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emotions vary in intensity&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emotions alter kids\u2019 physiology&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emotions affect athletes mentally<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emotions impact kids\u2019 actions and performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emotions are mostly within athletes\u2019 control.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All athletes experience a wide range of <strong>emotions<\/strong>, more so than all other living things. Learning how to manage emotions is key for success as an athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When competing, kids will experience many emotions, including anger, calmness, happiness, sadness, disappointment and pride. Emotions exist along a continuum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, anger can vary in intensity. Take, for instance, a golfer who misses a 3-foot putt. At one end of the spectrum, that golfer may feel slightly annoyed. On the other end of the spectrum, that golfer may completely flip out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Emotions <\/strong>profoundly influence physiology, such as breathing, heart rate, muscle tension and blood pressure. When a young athlete reacts negatively to a mistake in <strong>competition<\/strong>, their heart will begin pounding, breathing will become shallow, muscles will tighten and posture will slump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Emotions affect athletes\u2019 minds. When kids are frustrated due to a mistake in a close game, they will have difficulty focusing, have unproductive or negative thoughts, feel increased pressure and become less confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Emotions impact kids\u2019 level of performance in competitions. When they are overwhelmed by intense, unproductive emotions, their reactions become slower, their mechanics and technique less fluid, and their decision-making abilities become compromised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emotions_And_Your_Performance\"><\/span>Emotions And Your Performance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, they may feel less energized and prone to making more mistakes.&nbsp;<br><strong>Competitive <\/strong>emotions are mostly within young athletes\u2019 control. During a competition, they may experience a bad or unfair officiating call. However, how they respond to that circumstance and how they deal with their <strong>emotions <\/strong>is within their control.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, a bad call can cause kids to verbally lash out at the official, which will compound the problem. Conversely, sports kids can choose to take several deep breaths to calm themselves, re-focus their attention and regain their composure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since young athletes can\u2019t prevent challenging circumstances from happening, learning how to manage <strong>emotions <\/strong>is crucial for dealing with mistakes and adverse circumstances and performing at peak levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early in the 2024 WNBA season, the Indiana Fever suffered a loss to the Connecticut Sun after Indiana lost their composure late in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Indiana clinging to a 76-75 lead with 3:37 to play, Fever rookie Caitlin Clark turned the ball over and drew her fifth foul when she attempted to regain possession of the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, Clark was called for a technical when she shouted at the referees in frustration. From that point, the Sun took control of the game and beat Indiana 88-84.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the game, Clark commented on her outburst late in the game.&nbsp;\u201cJust the technical foul, I can\u2019t get that. A little frustration of how the game was reffed. But it is what it is. That\u2019s out of your control. I thought our team put ourselves in position to make some plays to try and win down the stretch, and the Sun always came up with big plays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Controlling_Emotions\"><\/span>Controlling Emotions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To manage intense emotions, kids must first understand what they can and cannot control. For example, they cannot control the officiating, but can control their response to officiating calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once kids know what they can control, they can develop strategies to manage their <strong>emotions <\/strong>effectively so they can focus on competing at their peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Emotions and focus go hand in hand. When kids focus on what they can control, they will better manage their emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask young athletes to try brainstorming aspects of <strong>competition <\/strong>that they can and cannot control. This exercise will help them keep their perspective when they experience challenging competition situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Youth_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Youth Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-kids-emotions-affect-teammates\/\"><strong>How Sports Kids\u2019 Emotions Affect Teammates<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-parents-emotions-affect-sports-kids\/\"><strong>How Parents\u2019 Emotions Affect Sports Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-sports-kids-develop-an-emotional-iq\/\"><strong>Helping Sports Kids Develop an Emotional IQ<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-2af4b66a-7a25-46fc-b627-e07fc2853075\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ultimate_Sports_Parent_Workbook_and_CD_Program\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/ultimate-sports-parent-workbook-cd-program\/\" title=\"Ultimate Sports Parent Workbook and CD Program\">Ultimate Sports Parent Workbook and CD Program<\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\" id=\"block-59efff1d-7aae-4218-86ef-46a87932eb50\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/confident-sports-kid-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/confident-sports-kid-small.jpg\" alt=\"The Composed Sports Kid\" class=\"wp-image-11169\" style=\"width:160px\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every day, we receive letters from parents like you who want&nbsp;their children and teens to excel in sports. However, these parents can&nbsp;<strong>see fear, doubt, and frustration on the faces of their kids<\/strong>&nbsp;who struggle with the \u201cinner\u201d game of sports. But these parents have no idea how to help their kids&nbsp;<strong>overcome the worries, expectations and self-defeating thoughts<\/strong>&nbsp;that prevent their young athletes from feeling confident and successful.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s difficult for sports parents<strong>&nbsp;to watch their kids under-perform<\/strong>&nbsp;in sports and&nbsp;<strong>lose self-esteem<\/strong>&nbsp;due&nbsp;<strong>to fear, doubt and tentativeness<\/strong>. It\u2019s hard to stand idle and watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The solutions are not obvious. However, you, as a parent, can learn how to respond to your athletes\u2019 fears, doubts, and frustrations.&nbsp;You can develop happy, successful kids who are \u201cmentally tough\u201d in sports \u2013 and life!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-3cbe56a4\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-7d812b4c wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-25\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-medium-font-size has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/ultimate-sports-parent-workbook-cd-program\/\" style=\"border-radius:9px\">DETAILS<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-25\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-medium-font-size has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-ultimate-sports-parent-digital\" style=\"border-radius:9px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BUY NOW<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do emotions affect kids\u2019 competitive performance? Have there been competitions where a bad officiating call mentally knocked your kids off their game? There are six facts about competitive emotions: All athletes experience a wide range of emotions, more so than all other living things. Learning how to manage emotions &#8230; <a title=\"Helping Young Athletes Control Emotions\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-control-emotions\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Helping Young Athletes Control Emotions\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[309,39],"class_list":["post-11139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence-in-youth-sports","tag-kids-sports-psychology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}