{"id":1999,"date":"2013-09-05T23:39:40","date_gmt":"2013-09-05T23:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=1999"},"modified":"2025-07-21T07:19:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T11:19:22","slug":"8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Tips for Sports Parents To Help Athletes Perform with Confidence"},"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\/2011\/01\/boosting-confidence-in-the-face-of-little-playing-time-1.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" class=\"wp-image-3811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/boosting-confidence-in-the-face-of-little-playing-time-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/boosting-confidence-in-the-face-of-little-playing-time-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=\"Parents_Help_Instill_Confidence_in_Sports_Kids\"><\/span>Parents: Help Instill Confidence in Sports Kids<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\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#Parents_Help_Instill_Confidence_in_Sports_Kids\" >Parents: Help Instill Confidence in Sports Kids<\/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\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#1_Self-motivation_is_the_best_type_of_motivation\" >1. Self-motivation is the best type of motivation.<\/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\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#2_Your_agenda_may_not_be_your_athletes_agenda\" >2. Your agenda may not be your athlete&#8217;s agenda.<\/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\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#3_Help_your_athlete_focus_on_the_process\" >3. Help your athlete focus on the process.<\/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\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#4_Model_composure_and_poise_during_competition\" >4. Model composure and poise during competition.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#6_Always_give_positive_feedback_after_competition\" >6. Always give positive feedback after competition.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#7_Resist_coaching_during_competition\" >7. Resist coaching during competition.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#8_Fuel_their_confidence\" >8. Fuel their confidence.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#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-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/#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>Parents are always asking us how they should interact with their athletes before games and during practice. They want to know how to best support their sons or daughters&#8217; <strong>confidence<\/strong> in sports. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few general guidelines parents can use to help their athlete perform with <strong>confidence<\/strong> and enjoy sports!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Self-motivation_is_the_best_type_of_motivation\"><\/span>1. Self-motivation is the best type of motivation.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Motivation<\/strong> must be cultivated from the love of sports and competition &#8211; from within the athlete himself. You want them to practice and compete for themselves and not because they want to do it for you or to please a parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Your_agenda_may_not_be_your_athletes_agenda\"><\/span>2. Your agenda may not be your athlete&#8217;s agenda.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes play sports for many reasons. Maybe they love the competition, the social aspect, being part of a group, or the challenge of competition. Your agenda for your athlete&#8217;s participation might interfere with his\/her <strong>motivation<\/strong> to compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Help_your_athlete_focus_on_the_process\"><\/span>3. Help your athlete focus on the process.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course everyone wants to win, but teaching your athlete to <strong>focus<\/strong> on the <strong>process,<\/strong> the here and now, and <strong>focusing<\/strong> on one play at a time will help them play in the moment and with <strong>confidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Model_composure_and_poise_during_competition\"><\/span>4. Model composure and poise during competition.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you become tight, serious, angry, or frustrated, so will your athlete. For athletes to perform well, the goal is to be loose, carefree, but at the same time <strong>focused<\/strong> on performing. Model <strong>composure<\/strong> by staying <strong>relaxed<\/strong> and <strong>positive.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Always_give_positive_feedback_after_competition\"><\/span>6. Always give positive feedback after competition.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s easy to jump in and give your athlete advice on what not to do in the next competition or how to do better, but you should first give <strong>positive encouragement<\/strong> and pick out one or two skills your son\/daughter did well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Resist_coaching_during_competition\"><\/span>7. Resist coaching during competition.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Practice and training are over. During competition, it&#8217;s time to let them play. Too much coaching on technique or what you think your player should be doing can lead to a controlled or cautious performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Fuel_their_confidence\"><\/span>8. Fuel their confidence.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Real <strong>confidence<\/strong> is stable and enduring. Help your athlete grow <strong>confidence<\/strong> by <strong>focusing<\/strong> them on what they did well after each game. <strong>Encourage<\/strong> them to improve upon instead of dwell on mistakes, and help them to think <strong>positively<\/strong> when they have doubts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please share&nbsp;this with parents or coaches who you think would appreciate it!<\/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-to-set-standards-of-excellence-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>How to Set Standards of Excellence for Young Athletes\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-youth-sports-feels-toxic-athletes-need-these-skills\/\"><strong>When Youth Sports Feels Toxic, Athletes Need These Skills\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-athletes-only-dwell-on-post-game-mistakes\/\"><strong>When Athletes Only Dwell on Post Game 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_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>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>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>Parents: Help Instill Confidence in Sports Kids Parents are always asking us how they should interact with their athletes before games and during practice. They want to know how to best support their sons or daughters&#8217; confidence in sports. Here are a few general guidelines parents can use to help &#8230; <a title=\"8 Tips for Sports Parents To Help Athletes Perform with Confidence\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-tips-for-sports-parents-to-help-athletes-perform-with-confidence\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about 8 Tips for Sports Parents To Help Athletes Perform with Confidence\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,6],"tags":[264,263,202,182,173,321,251],"class_list":["post-1999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parenting","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence-in-young-athletes","tag-sports-kids","tag-sports-parent-tips","tag-sports-parents","tag-tips-for-sports-parents","tag-young-athletes","tag-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999","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=1999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}