{"id":36,"date":"2008-01-17T03:48:00","date_gmt":"2008-01-17T03:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=36"},"modified":"2025-08-08T06:05:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T10:05:18","slug":"helping-young-athletes-follow-their-dreams-in-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-follow-their-dreams-in-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Young Athletes Follow Their Dreams in Sports"},"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\/2023\/04\/bring-judged-as-an-athlete.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bring-judged-as-an-athlete.jpg\" alt=\"When Athletes Worry About Being Judged\" class=\"wp-image-9055\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bring-judged-as-an-athlete.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bring-judged-as-an-athlete-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=\"Dealing_With_Others_Jealousy\"><\/span>Dealing With Others Jealousy <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\/helping-young-athletes-follow-their-dreams-in-sports\/#Dealing_With_Others_Jealousy\" >Dealing With Others Jealousy<\/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\/helping-young-athletes-follow-their-dreams-in-sports\/#How_can_sports_parents_deal_with_such_a_dilemma\" >How can sports parents deal with such a dilemma?<\/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\/helping-young-athletes-follow-their-dreams-in-sports\/#Parents_need_to_ensure_their_kids_take_part_in_sports_for_the_right_reasons\" >Parents need to ensure their kids take part in sports for the right reasons.<\/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\/helping-young-athletes-follow-their-dreams-in-sports\/#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-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-follow-their-dreams-in-sports\/#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>How do you help young athletes whose dreams in sports are undermined by others&#8217; jealousy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">In the case of Lela&#8217;s son, Frank, it&#8217;s a big challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Frank is a high school student and Olympic-caliber athlete in track.&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">He is ranked nationally for his event and age group.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\"><strong>Frank&#8217;s problem:<\/strong> He lives in a very small town where there&#8217;s only one track coach, a coach whose son also takes part in track. Others are jealous of Frank&#8217;s talents and his high goals in sports.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">The track coach tries to derail Frank&#8217;s efforts to become an Olympic athlete, refusing to give him extra gym time to work out. The coach told him he should simply <strong>focus<\/strong> on high school sports, rather than follow his dream of training for the Olympics.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">What&#8217;s more, the basketball and football coaches in this small town think they own this young man&#8217;s talent. They&#8217;re constantly pressuring him to play on their teams instead of following his dream. They want to use his talent to help their teams <strong>succeed.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_sports_parents_deal_with_such_a_dilemma\"><\/span><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">How can sports parents deal with such a dilemma?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Lela and other sports parents should encourage their young athletes to follow their dreams.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Lela needs to help her son ignore the distractions created by others&#8217; jealousy and <strong>focus<\/strong> on doing what he loves. That means training, competing and continuing to improve.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Lela needs to help Frank tune out the worries created by others&#8217; opposition to his dream. He needs to <strong>focus<\/strong> on the tasks he needs to achieve his goals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">An athlete&#8217;s dreams can quickly sink when non-believers beat him up. His <strong>confidence<\/strong> can take a hit.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">In addition, if Frank doesn&#8217;t want to play football or basketball, he should not play. His talent is his own, not his small town&#8217;s.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\"><strong>Successful<\/strong> athletes are able to keep their goals and dreams alive in the face of criticism from others. Sometimes an athlete will give in to the pressure he feels from parents, coaches, and friends. In this case, the athlete competes to satisfy others instead of following his dreams.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parents_need_to_ensure_their_kids_take_part_in_sports_for_the_right_reasons\"><\/span><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Parents need to ensure their kids take part in sports for the right reasons.<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Young athletes should be genuinely self-motivated to practice and compete in sports.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Award winning parenting writer Lisa Cohn and Youth Sports Psychology expert Dr. Patrick Cohn are co-founders of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/ultimate-sports-parent-workbook-cd-program\/\">The Ultimate Sports Parent<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Pick up their free e-book:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/\"><span style=\"font-family: arial;\">Ten Tips to Improve Confidence and Success in Young Athletes<\/span><\/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_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\/help-sports-kids-turn-comparisons-into-growth-comradery\/\"><strong>Help Sports Kids Turn Comparisons into Growth &amp; Comradery<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-coaches-or-teammates-hurt-kids-confidence\/\"><strong>When Coaches or Teammates Hurt Kids\u2019 Confidence<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/sports-bullying-is-everywhere-even-in-the-pro-arena\/\"><strong>Sports Bullying is Everywhere\u2014Even in the Pro Arena<\/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-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>Dealing With Others Jealousy How do you help young athletes whose dreams in sports are undermined by others&#8217; jealousy? In the case of Lela&#8217;s son, Frank, it&#8217;s a big challenge. Frank is a high school student and Olympic-caliber athlete in track.&nbsp;He is ranked nationally for his event and age group. &#8230; <a title=\"Helping Young Athletes Follow Their Dreams in Sports\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-follow-their-dreams-in-sports\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Helping Young Athletes Follow Their Dreams in Sports\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,16,3,6,12],"tags":[137,173,117],"class_list":["post-36","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abusive-coaches-youth-sports","category-pushy-sports-parents","category-youth-sports","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","category-youth-sports-tips","tag-jealousy-and-bullying-in-sports","tag-tips-for-sports-parents","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\/36","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=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}