{"id":2404,"date":"2014-08-29T15:02:20","date_gmt":"2014-08-29T15:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=2404"},"modified":"2025-07-21T05:34:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T09:34:03","slug":"why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Young Athletes Shouldn&#8217;t Compare Themselves to 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\/2024\/02\/leaning-from-mistakes.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/leaning-from-mistakes.jpg\" alt=\"How Kids Can Learn to Make the Most of Mistake While Competing\" class=\"wp-image-9218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/leaning-from-mistakes.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/leaning-from-mistakes-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=\"Stop_the_Comparison_Game\"><\/span><br>Stop the Comparison Game <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 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\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-others\/#Stop_the_Comparison_Game\" >Stop the Comparison Game<\/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\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-others\/#The_player_is_comparing_himself_to_others\" >The player is comparing himself to others.<\/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\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-others\/#How_do_you_help_kids_stop_comparing_themselves_to_others\" >How do you help kids stop comparing themselves to others?<\/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\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-others\/#Want_to_learn_more_about_how_to_help_kids_who_compare_themselves_to_others\" >Want to learn more about how to help kids who compare themselves to others?<\/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\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-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-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-others\/#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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A sports dad tells us that his talented 8-year-old golfer gets upset when a player with lower abilities beats him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;He then acts poorly and Dad is embarrassed. How do you help him to stay <strong>focused<\/strong> and learn that losing is part of sports?&#8221;<\/em> asks the dad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A major problem here:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_player_is_comparing_himself_to_others\"><\/span>The player is comparing himself to others.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s a real <strong>mental game<\/strong> no-no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why? When kids compare themselves to others, they&#8217;re not <strong>focusing<\/strong> on playing to the best of their ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this case, the boy should <strong>focus<\/strong> on playing one shot at a time, not on beating other kids. He should <strong>concentrate<\/strong> on his game plan for the course instead of on what the other kids are shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_help_kids_stop_comparing_themselves_to_others\"><\/span>How do you help kids stop comparing themselves to others?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First of all, they need to understand how it hurts them. When they compare themselves to others, they&#8217;re funneling their energy into the wrong place&#8211;other people&#8211;and are often psyching themselves out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can&#8217;t control how well the other players play, but they can control their own thoughts and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So they need to begin by <strong>focusing<\/strong> on their own strengths and on playing one shot at a time; one play at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Too often, kids think too much about the score or win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kids enjoy sports more and have more fun if they play in the moment and <strong>focus<\/strong> on what they do well- and what they should be doing, right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Want_to_learn_more_about_how_to_help_kids_who_compare_themselves_to_others\"><\/span>Want to learn more about how to help kids who compare themselves to others?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology, we&#8217;ve got a helpful eBook for you and your sports kids, <em>&#8220;Appreciate Your Talents: Stop Making Comparisons.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Exclusive members of Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology can download the eBook here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Appreciate Your Talents: Stop Making Comparisons<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, at Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology, we&#8217;ve got loads of other resources- including eBooks, audios, articles and videos- designed to help you be a better sports parent and help kids boost their <strong>confidence!<\/strong><\/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\/when-athletes-compare-themselves-to-others\/\"><strong>When Athletes Compare Themselves to Others<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-young-athletes-compare-themselves-to-others\/\"><strong>Do Your Young Athletes Compare Themselves To Others?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-their-skills-to-others\/\"><strong>Why Young Athletes Shouldn\u2019t Compare Their Skills To Others<\/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\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/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 is-resized\"><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\" style=\"width:167px\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><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>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stop the Comparison Game A sports dad tells us that his talented 8-year-old golfer gets upset when a player with lower abilities beats him. &#8220;He then acts poorly and Dad is embarrassed. How do you help him to stay focused and learn that losing is part of sports?&#8221; asks the &#8230; <a title=\"Why Young Athletes Shouldn&#8217;t Compare Themselves to Others\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-young-athletes-shouldnt-compare-themselves-to-others\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why Young Athletes Shouldn&#8217;t Compare Themselves to Others\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,6],"tags":[514,118,321],"class_list":["post-2404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-confidence-in-young-athletes","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-comparisons-in-sports","tag-mental-game","tag-young-athletes","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.8 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When kids compare themselves to others, they&#039;re not focusing on playing to the best of their ability. 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