{"id":1275,"date":"2011-06-19T02:06:11","date_gmt":"2011-06-19T02:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=1275"},"modified":"2025-08-07T02:34:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T06:34:37","slug":"do-your-sports-kids-lose-focus-when-performing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-sports-kids-lose-focus-when-performing\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Your Sports Kids Lose Focus When Performing?"},"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\/2010\/12\/helping-young-athletes-stay-confident-and-composed-after-setbacks-1.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" class=\"wp-image-3787\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/helping-young-athletes-stay-confident-and-composed-after-setbacks-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/helping-young-athletes-stay-confident-and-composed-after-setbacks-1-300x150.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=\"Sports_Kids_And_The_Zone_Focus\"><\/span>Sports Kids And The Zone Focus<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\/do-your-sports-kids-lose-focus-when-performing\/#Sports_Kids_And_The_Zone_Focus\" >Sports Kids And The Zone Focus<\/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\/do-your-sports-kids-lose-focus-when-performing\/#Young_athlete_often\" >Young athlete often:<\/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\/do-your-sports-kids-lose-focus-when-performing\/#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\/do-your-sports-kids-lose-focus-when-performing\/#Help_Your_Young_Athletes_Improve_Focus_In_Sports\" >Help Your Young Athletes Improve Focus In Sports!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Achieving a \u201czone focus\u201d is key to success for sports kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When <strong>sports kids have a zone focus<\/strong>, they\u2019re concentrating on everything they need to focus on during the performance, and feel as if time has been suspended. They\u2019re totally into their game. They\u2019re \u201con.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this state they\u2019re most likely to feel the most <strong>confident<\/strong> and to play and perform their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s not always easy for kids to <strong>focus<\/strong> their best in sports\u2014some kids don\u2019t even know what they should attend to&#8211;and many kids get distracted easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today we\u2019re going to talk about a few common <strong>mental game<\/strong> obstacles, and we\u2019re interested in hearing whether <strong>your kids experience these challenges&#8211;or others.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to <strong>concentration,<\/strong> young athletes fall into a number of common traps\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Young_athlete_often\"><\/span><strong>Young athlete often<\/strong>:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focus<\/strong> too much on the score or their stats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dwell on their mistakes and stay stuck in the past.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lose <strong>focus<\/strong> at critical moments during the game because they feel pressured, nervous, or worried.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pay too much attention to the reactions of people watching the game, such as parents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allow distractions to run wild in their minds, and have no plan for getting back on track mentally.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Become distracted by weather, negative comments from teammates or parents\u2019 yelling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re pretty sure your kids fall into these\u2014and other\u2014traps from time to time. Our kids certainly have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Lisa\u2019s son, a <strong>perfectionist,<\/strong> sometimes starts out a game with lots of energy and <strong>focus,<\/strong> then, if he makes one or two mistakes, starts dwelling on his mistakes. Suddenly he\u2019s no longer in the game; he looks as if he\u2019s wandering around the court with no plan or focus. It gets worse after that. He starts beating himself up <strong>mentally<\/strong> for playing badly, and his <strong>confidence<\/strong> sinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can help with challenges like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids wouldn\u2019t spiral down this negative path so easily if they understood what was going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Lisa\u2019s son\u2019s case, the negative spiral is set off by a mistake that he dwells on. Kids like him&#8211;perfectionists&#8211;need to be super aware of their tendency to <strong>focus<\/strong> too much on mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes need to learn <strong>concrete mental game strategies for re-focusing<\/strong> when they\u2019re distracted. In future emails, we\u2019ll tell you more about those strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay, we\u2019ve confessed. Now it\u2019s your turn! Please tell us what makes your kids lose <strong>focus, become distracted, or get yanked out of the zone<\/strong>\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do they commit the common <strong>mental-game<\/strong> no-nos outlined above? Or do they have their own unique distractions? When they lose <strong>focus,<\/strong> what happens to their performance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your kids\u2019 challenges in sports help us understand what\u2019s important for us to <strong>focus<\/strong> on; each and every story you share gives us new perspectives on how we can help your kids. They also help us tailor our tips to meet your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re interested in any thoughts you have about your sports kids\u2019 <strong>focus.<\/strong> Do you think you contribute in any way to their <strong>focusing<\/strong> troubles? If so, please tell us! Do you have any \u201csecret\u201d tips that have helped your kids focus their best?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please post your comments below!<\/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\/how-young-athletes-can-win-close-games\/\"><strong>How Young Athletes Can Win Close Games<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-sports-kids-with-focusing-challenges-like-adhd\/\"><strong>Tips for Sports Kids With Focusing Challenges like ADHD<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-kids-focus-on-being-in-the-moment-not-on-mistakes\/\"><strong>Help Kids Focus on Being in the Moment, Not on Mistakes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p 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_Your_Young_Athletes_Improve_Focus_In_Sports\"><\/span>Help Your Young Athletes Improve Focus In Sports!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/focused-sports-kid-small-7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/focused-sports-kid-small-7.jpg\" alt=\"the Focused Sports Kid\" class=\"wp-image-11217\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Are your young athletes easily <strong>distracted<\/strong> by people shouting on the sidelines? Do they obsess over their <strong>mistakes<\/strong>? Do they <strong>worry<\/strong> about what people think of them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These issues will cause their concentration and performance to suffer!<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-focused-sports-kid-cd-program\/\">The Focused Sports Kid<\/a> helps kids overcome distractions that can hurt their performance in sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-focused-sports-kid-cd-program\/\">The Focused Sports Kid<\/a> program is actually two programs: one for sports parents\/coaches that provides mental game tips especially designed for parents and coaches, and for young athletes, ages 8 to 12, that will walk them through 7 simple lessons in mental focus in sports.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-2050113d\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-030447a4 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-focused-sports-kid-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-af59ca3f gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-focused-sports-kid-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sports Kids And The Zone Focus Achieving a \u201czone focus\u201d is key to success for sports kids. When sports kids have a zone focus, they\u2019re concentrating on everything they need to focus on during the performance, and feel as if time has been suspended. They\u2019re totally into their game. They\u2019re &#8230; <a title=\"Do Your Sports Kids Lose Focus When Performing?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-sports-kids-lose-focus-when-performing\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Do Your Sports Kids Lose Focus When Performing?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[437,436],"class_list":["post-1275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-coping-with-distractions-in-sports","tag-young-athlete-and-focus"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275","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=1275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}