{"id":1216,"date":"2011-04-28T14:40:00","date_gmt":"2011-04-28T14:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=1216"},"modified":"2025-08-07T02:45:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T06:45:52","slug":"can-athletes-feel-confident-in-the-face-of-many-challenges-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/can-athletes-feel-confident-in-the-face-of-many-challenges-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Athletes Feel Confident in the Face of Many Challenges Today?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/why-sports-parents-need-perspective.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" class=\"wp-image-3744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/why-sports-parents-need-perspective.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/why-sports-parents-need-perspective-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Growing_Confidence_in_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Growing Confidence in Youth Sports<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 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\/can-athletes-feel-confident-in-the-face-of-many-challenges-today\/#Growing_Confidence_in_Youth_Sports\" >Growing Confidence in Youth Sports<\/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\/can-athletes-feel-confident-in-the-face-of-many-challenges-today\/#Some_typical_challenges_include\" >Some typical challenges include:<\/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\/can-athletes-feel-confident-in-the-face-of-many-challenges-today\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/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\/can-athletes-feel-confident-in-the-face-of-many-challenges-today\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Can kids really grow their<strong> confidence <\/strong>in sports today, given that they have to deal with society&#8217;s pressure to excel, untrained and sometimes difficult coaches, bullies, and parents who are sometimes over-invested in winning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was the gist of a question we got yesterday from a 22-year-old student from the Columbia School of Journalism. She&#8217;s writing a piece about youth sports and is intrigued by the many challenges that young athletes face these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also asked, <em>&#8220;Is it better for kids to play sports and risk <strong>losing confidence <\/strong>(with bullies and bad coaches) than to not participate?&#8221; And: &#8220;Do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages in today&#8217;s youth sports scene?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s our answer<\/strong>: Yes, the benefits of taking part in youth sports outweigh the disadvantages. And yes, kids can enjoy sports in the face of many challenges&#8211;as we think it prepares them for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But kids are more likely to enjoy sports and thrive if they know how to take control of their<strong> confidence <\/strong>and stay <strong>mentally tough<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s true that many kids encounter adversity in youth sports. They may get little playing time, they may encounter bullies, or they may lose <strong>confidence<\/strong> from too much negative feedback from a coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But young athletes can learn from these experiences\u2014and turn their lessons in sports into critical life skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, they need to be given the tools and resources required to <strong>remain confident and mentally tough<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s where you, as parents and coaches, come in. You can help kids boost their <strong>confidence<\/strong> by, first of all, identifying the everyday <strong>mental game<\/strong> challenges they face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Some_typical_challenges_include\"><\/span>Some typical challenges include:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>High expectations (&#8220;I need to make four 3-pointers and block five shots today&#8221;);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Negative Labels (&#8220;I&#8217;m too skinny to play football&#8221;);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;I Can&#8217;t&#8221; Statements (&#8220;I can&#8217;t score when I play against this team&#8221;),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Goofy Beliefs (&#8220;I only score if I eat granola bars for breakfast or wear a red headband&#8221;) and&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Doubt (Can I really make that shot?).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Confidence<\/strong> killers can sometimes come from outside sources&#8211;parents, coaches and peers&#8211;who give too much negative feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever the source, it&#8217;s important to teach kids how to handle these hurdles. Once they learn how to deal with these common problems, they&#8217;re much better equipped to tackle any kind of adversity&#8211;including high pressure, difficult coaches and bullies.<\/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_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<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-coaches-and-parents-expectations-hurt-athletes-confidence\/\"><strong>How Parents\u2019 Expectations Hurt Athletes\u2019 Confidence<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-confidence-is-a-youth-sports-cure-all\/\"><strong>Why Confidence is a Youth-Sports Cure-All<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-young-athletes-lose-confidence-with-comparisons\/\"><strong>How Young Athletes Lose Confidence with Comparisons<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to<strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> <\/strong>on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Growing Confidence in Youth Sports Can kids really grow their confidence in sports today, given that they have to deal with society&#8217;s pressure to excel, untrained and sometimes difficult coaches, bullies, and parents who are sometimes over-invested in winning? That was the gist of a question we got yesterday from &#8230; <a title=\"Can Athletes Feel Confident in the Face of Many Challenges Today?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/can-athletes-feel-confident-in-the-face-of-many-challenges-today\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Can Athletes Feel Confident in the Face of Many Challenges Today?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,39,431],"class_list":["post-1216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence","tag-kids-sports-psychology","tag-youth-tennis","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216","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=1216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}