{"id":144,"date":"2009-07-10T13:40:56","date_gmt":"2009-07-10T13:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=144"},"modified":"2025-08-08T02:01:55","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T06:01:55","slug":"good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Stress and Bad Stress for Youth Sports Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3436\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pre-Game_Stress_In_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Pre-Game Stress 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\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids\/#Pre-Game_Stress_In_Youth_Sports\" >Pre-Game Stress 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\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids\/#What_are_the_signs_that_a_young_athlete_is_stressed_in_bad_ways\" >What are the signs that a young athlete is stressed in bad ways?<\/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\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids\/#What_causes_this_kind_of_stress\" >What causes this kind of stress?<\/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\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids\/#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-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids\/#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>Are your sports kids stressed before games?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you know the signs and causes of stress in young athletes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stress can really undermine kids&#8217; <strong>confidence<\/strong> and <strong>success.<\/strong> And that hurts their performance and happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We talked to Debbie Mendel, a stress management expert and author of the book, <em>&#8220;Addicted to Stress,&#8221;<\/em> to find out how sports parents can identify and cope with <strong>stress<\/strong> in young athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, there&#8217;s good stress and bad stress in youth sports, Mandel told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good stress, or what Mandel calls acute stress, takes the form of pre-game or <strong>pre-competition jitters<\/strong> that jump-start a young athlete&#8217;s body into performing well, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child experiences <strong>pre-game butterflies or nervousness<\/strong>, understand that it&#8217;s a good thing and will help them focus better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bad stress, on the other hand, is chronic. It can zap a young athlete&#8217;s <strong>energy<\/strong> and vitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_signs_that_a_young_athlete_is_stressed_in_bad_ways\"><\/span>What are the signs that a young athlete is stressed in bad ways?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, stress manifests itself physically. Kids and teens will experience digestive problems, stomachaches, fatigue and irritability. They&#8217;ll find it&#8217;s harder to <strong>concentrate <\/strong>and may be more prone to accidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_causes_this_kind_of_stress\"><\/span>What causes this kind of stress?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many sports kids feel stressed when they&#8217;re driven\u2014either internally or externally&#8211;to perform well, Mandel says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes parents push their kids to perform well; sometimes young athletes feel the need to perform well to prove themselves and gain approval and applause, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a sports parent, you can help ensure your kids benefit from good stress and minimize bad stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, to minimize chronic stress, keep your <strong>expectations<\/strong> in check. When you push your kids too hard to perform well, they often end up under-performing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids take on your expectations as their own, then feel <strong>frustrated<\/strong> if they can&#8217;t meet these expectations. That can lower their <strong>confidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For kids who are driven internally to perform at high levels, help them let go of high expectations. Tell them to <strong>focus<\/strong> on playing one shot at a time and concentrating on the moment\u2014instead of thinking about statistics or scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Watch your body language,&#8221;<\/em> Mandel says. <em>&#8220;You may tell your kids you&#8217;re fine that they lost the game, but your face and hands may tell them something else.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s also important to help kids come back after failure, Mandel says. Learning how to overcome mistakes or failure helps kids reduce stress and become more resilient, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Mandel says, stress can really hurt your kids&#8217; <strong>confidence<\/strong> and undermine their overall experience in sports.<\/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\/teaching-sports-kids-pregame-plans\/\"><strong>Teaching Sports Kids Pregame Plans<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-kids-build-resiliency-in-sports\/\"><strong>Helping Kids Build Resiliency in Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/kids-who-struggle-with-pregame-nerves\/\"><strong>Kids Who Struggle with Pregame Nerves<\/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 <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>Pre-Game Stress In Youth Sports Are your sports kids stressed before games? Do you know the signs and causes of stress in young athletes? Stress can really undermine kids&#8217; confidence and success. And that hurts their performance and happiness. We talked to Debbie Mendel, a stress management expert and author &#8230; <a title=\"Good Stress and Bad Stress for Youth Sports Kids\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Good Stress and Bad Stress for Youth Sports Kids\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,31,30,18,6],"tags":[58,269,268,267,253,57,117],"class_list":["post-144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pregame-anxiety","category-pregame-jitters","category-pregame-nerves","category-young-athletes-pressure","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-expectations","tag-pregame-anxiety","tag-pregame-jitters","tag-pregame-nerves","tag-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-stress","tag-youth-sports-psychology","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144","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=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}