{"id":11296,"date":"2024-10-17T13:48:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T17:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=11296"},"modified":"2025-08-11T05:32:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T09:32:53","slug":"the-importance-of-passion-purpose-for-young-athletes-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-passion-purpose-for-young-athletes-success\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of\u00a0Passion & Purpose for Young Athletes\u2019\u00a0Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cathy Spaas was a professional equestrian show jumper at a young age and knows what it’s like to suffer from pressure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spaas was riding international shows at the age of 14, but, in response to pressure from her dad, began to feel like she was never good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I gave away too much of my own power because I felt so dependent on my dad\u2019s approval for a really long time,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I was 16, it all started to go downhill and I lost all confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her goal as performance coach at Cathy Spaas Academy is to ensure that athletes avoid her experience and find \u201csustainable success\u201d in sports, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n