{"id":1191,"date":"2011-04-07T16:49:07","date_gmt":"2011-04-07T16:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=1191"},"modified":"2025-08-07T04:38:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T08:38:08","slug":"kids-who-lose-confidence-playing-in-front-of-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/kids-who-lose-confidence-playing-in-front-of-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Kids Who Lose Confidence When Playing in Front of Others"},"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\/2023\/04\/bring-judged-as-an-athlete.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bring-judged-as-an-athlete.jpg\" alt=\"When Athletes Worry About Being Judged\" class=\"wp-image-9055\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bring-judged-as-an-athlete.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bring-judged-as-an-athlete-300x150.jpg 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=\"Kids_Who_Lose_Confidence\"><\/span>Kids Who Lose Confidence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 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\/kids-who-lose-confidence-playing-in-front-of-others\/#Kids_Who_Lose_Confidence\" >Kids Who Lose Confidence<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/kids-who-lose-confidence-playing-in-front-of-others\/#Pressure_from_Spectators\" >Pressure from Spectators<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/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\/kids-who-lose-confidence-playing-in-front-of-others\/#Related_Articles_on_Youth_Sports\" >Related Articles on Youth Sports:<\/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\/kids-who-lose-confidence-playing-in-front-of-others\/#Help_Young_Athletes_Boost_Confidence_in_Sports\" >Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What can sports parents do when kids&#8217; <strong>confidence<\/strong> dips when <strong>performing in front of others<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Truth is, you don&#8217;t have control over what is happening inside your kids&#8217; minds\u2014whether they feel pressure or not. However, you can teach them tools for managing\u2014or eliminating\u2014the p<strong>ressure<\/strong> they feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s an example&#8230; A parent tells us that she has a 12-year-old soccer player who is considered one of the top players in Cyprus in his age group. But being among the top can generate pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;How can I improve his <strong>confidence<\/strong>&#8211;especially when he knows he is being watched by important persons (such as a coach to select the best for promoting to a better level of training groups).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>His <strong>confidence<\/strong> drops when too many people are around him and there is somehow some <strong>external pressure<\/strong>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First of all, this player is most likely <strong>worried <\/strong>about letting down others in this situation. He needs to understand that <strong>focusing<\/strong> on others is a distraction and can undermine his <strong>confidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pressure_from_Spectators\"><\/span>Pressure from Spectators<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He&#8217;s likely<strong> focusing on what others think <\/strong>about his skills, rather than the task in front of him. He needs to stop thinking about others and <strong>focus<\/strong> on his game and his own strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Second, this player is likely <strong>afraid of failing<\/strong>. For certain kids, the more <strong>success<\/strong> they experience, the more they&#8217;re afraid of failing. This causes them to tighten up, avoid making mistakes and stop playing with the creativity and risk-taking needed to excel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kids who are experiencing <strong>fear of failure <\/strong>need to understand what&#8217;s causing the fear. For example, they shouldn&#8217;t think they are expected to perform great or score the most goals, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, they need to <strong>focus on the process<\/strong>, which help ground them in the here-and-now. A process goal in soccer might be to make quality passes or pick a specific target before every shot on net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These tips are just a few of the many resources we share at Kids\u2019 Sports Psychology. For example, kids and parents struggling with <strong>pressure <\/strong>might check out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;Kick Fear of Failure and Perfectionism,&#8221; an e-book for sports kids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;Appreciate Your Talents: How To Avoid Making Comparisons,&#8221; also an e-book for sports kids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;When Tennis Kids Pressure Themselves to be Perfect,&#8221; an article.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that&#8217;s not all. We provide many more e-books, audios, videos, articles, Q and As and forums to help you be Ultimate Sports Parents and help your kids take control of their <strong>confidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you become an exclusive member of Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology, you have access to all of them.<\/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\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Related Articles on Youth Sports:<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\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/\"><strong>Tips for Playing Under Pressure<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-kids-worry-about-others-judging-them\/\"><strong>When Kids Worry About Others Judging Them<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-athletes-worry-about-being-judged\/\"><strong>When Athletes Worry About Being Judged<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/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=\"Help_Young_Athletes_Boost_Confidence_in_Sports\"><\/span>Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ultimate-sports-parent-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ultimate-sports-parent-small.jpg\" alt=\"The Ultimate Sports Parent\" class=\"wp-image-11157\" style=\"width:167px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every day, we receive letters from parents like you who want their children and teens to excel in sports. However, these parents can <strong>see fear, doubt, and frustration on the faces of their kids<\/strong> who struggle with the \u201cinner\u201d game of sports. But these parents have no idea how to help their kids <strong>overcome the worries, expectations and self-defeating thoughts<\/strong> that prevent their young athletes from feeling confident and successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can benefit from our 1<strong>5-plus years\u2019 of work in sports psychology and sports parenting research<\/strong>. Now, you can <strong>tap into our secrets to sports success<\/strong> through a cutting-edge, 14-day program that helps young athletes overcome the top \u201cmental game\u201d challenges that sports parents face\u2014and the top <strong>challenges young athletes face<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-fbab03ed\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-fa7bf2e7 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/ultimate-sports-parent-workbook-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-33bcee1d gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-ultimate-sports-parent-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kids Who Lose Confidence What can sports parents do when kids&#8217; confidence dips when performing in front of others? Truth is, you don&#8217;t have control over what is happening inside your kids&#8217; minds\u2014whether they feel pressure or not. However, you can teach them tools for managing\u2014or eliminating\u2014the pressure they feel. &#8230; <a title=\"Kids Who Lose Confidence When Playing in Front of Others\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/kids-who-lose-confidence-playing-in-front-of-others\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Kids Who Lose Confidence When Playing in Front of Others\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,6],"tags":[64,67,65,117],"class_list":["post-1191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-confidence-in-young-athletes","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence","tag-fear-of-failure","tag-social-approval","tag-youth-sports-psychology","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 5.0.0.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What can parents do when kids&#039; confidence dips when performing in front of others? 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