{"id":3187,"date":"2016-03-17T15:26:11","date_gmt":"2016-03-17T15:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=3187"},"modified":"2025-07-11T05:54:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T09:54:34","slug":"sports-kids-worry-watching-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-kids-worry-watching-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Athletes Who Worry About Who&#8217;s Watching Them Play"},"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\/11\/teaching-young-athletes-to-be-resilient\u2014in-sports-and-life.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" class=\"wp-image-3454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/teaching-young-athletes-to-be-resilient\u2014in-sports-and-life.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/teaching-young-athletes-to-be-resilient\u2014in-sports-and-life-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=\"Help_Young_Athletes_Develop_A_Pregame_Routine\"><\/span>Help Young Athletes Develop A Pregame Routine<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 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\/sports-kids-worry-watching-play\/#Help_Young_Athletes_Develop_A_Pregame_Routine\" >Help Young Athletes Develop A Pregame Routine<\/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\/sports-kids-worry-watching-play\/#The_result_They_dont_perform_well\" >The result: They don\u2019t perform well.<\/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\/sports-kids-worry-watching-play\/#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\/sports-kids-worry-watching-play\/#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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just before a game, a number of challenges hurt kids\u2019 <strong>confidence.<\/strong> A big one among them, parents tell us, are worries about who will come to kids\u2019 games to watch them <strong>perform.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Young athletes worry about coaches, friends, girlfriends and boyfriends, parents, and parents\u2019 friends watching them and possibly seeing them mess up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These thoughts take kids\u2019 minds out of sports and <strong>focus<\/strong> them instead on <strong>social approval<\/strong>. They want to be liked, of course. They think that in order to be liked, they have to perform really well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From a performance and <strong>mental game<\/strong> perspective, this is a double-whammy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, kids are <strong>distracted<\/strong> by these worries when they perform and can\u2019t <strong>focus<\/strong> on what they need to do to perform well in sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Second, they feel <strong>pressure<\/strong> to perform well. This often leads to kids raising their expectations or trying to perform perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When they do mess up, they feel frustrated when they can\u2019t meet these expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_result_They_dont_perform_well\"><\/span><strong>The result:<\/strong> They don\u2019t perform well.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your kids seek <strong>social approval<\/strong> or worry about others&#8217; watching them\u2014and let\u2019s face it, most kids do\u2014you can help them understand why it hurts their performance before and during a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, you can give them a few tips for dealing with <strong>social approval<\/strong> in ways that improve their <strong>focus<\/strong> and <strong>confidence<\/strong> before a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First of all, help them identify their worries about what people will think of their performance. See if they can clearly say whose presence at a game makes them worry the most. Coaches? Friends? Parents?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Second, help them understand that people will like or admire them for who they are\u2014not for how they perform. Remind them that you love them no matter how they perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Third, remind them to stop mind reading into what others&#8217; might be thinking as this is irrational. Your athletes need to <strong>focus<\/strong> on the process of playing and ignore who might be in the stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before a game, kids should enter the role of athletes and clear their minds of thoughts about what people think or who&#8217;s at the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They should have a <strong>pregame routine<\/strong> that helps them <strong>concentrate<\/strong> on the tasks of being an athlete\u2014not on worrying about what others will think of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They might <strong>visualize<\/strong> performing well, or listen to music that makes them feel good, or stretch and focus on their strategy for the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We really appreciate all the feedback you\u2019re giving us about what busts kids\u2019 <strong>confidence<\/strong> before games or performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ve haven\u2019t taken our survey yet, please do; your feedback is critical to us as we prepare resources that help you be the best sports parents possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take the survey here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/r\/pregame\"><strong>https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/r\/pregame<\/strong><\/a><\/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\/helping-young-athletes-be-team-players\/\"><strong>Helping Young Athletes Be Team Players<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-playing-sports-can-help-kids-transition-to-reopening\/\"><strong>How Playing Sports Can Help Kids Transition to Reopening<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-importance-of-playfulness-and-trust-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>The Importance of Playfulness and Trust in Youth Sports<\/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<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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 wp-block-paragraph\"><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>Help Young Athletes Develop A Pregame Routine Just before a game, a number of challenges hurt kids\u2019 confidence. A big one among them, parents tell us, are worries about who will come to kids\u2019 games to watch them perform. Young athletes worry about coaches, friends, girlfriends and boyfriends, parents, and &#8230; <a title=\"Athletes Who Worry About Who&#8217;s Watching Them Play\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-kids-worry-watching-play\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Athletes Who Worry About Who&#8217;s Watching Them Play\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[278,191,251],"class_list":["post-3187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-pregame-routine","tag-sports-parents-tips","tag-youth-sports","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3187","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=3187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3187\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}