{"id":4217,"date":"2017-01-12T18:57:03","date_gmt":"2017-01-12T18:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4217"},"modified":"2025-07-11T03:02:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T07:02:31","slug":"why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Pregame Mental Prep is Critical for Athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4219\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes-1.jpg\" alt=\"Pregame Mental Preparation\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes-1-300x150.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=\"Pregame_Mental_Preparation_For_Young_Athletes\"><\/span>Pregame Mental Preparation For Young Athletes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 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-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes\/#Pregame_Mental_Preparation_For_Young_Athletes\" >Pregame Mental Preparation For Young Athletes<\/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\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes\/#Kids_and_parents_say_that_just_before_a_game_young_athletes\" >Kids and parents say that just before a game, young athletes:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes\/#We_cover_all_these_pregame_pitfalls_and_more_in_our_brand_new_program\" >We cover all these pregame pitfalls and more in our brand new program:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/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-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes\/#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\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes\/#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 or competition, kids need to be as <strong>mentally<\/strong> ready as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, it&#8217;s hard to do this when kids feel anxious, distracted, worried or tense about what&#8217;s about to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can undermine kids\u2019 performance and <strong>confidence&#8230;.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parents can inadvertently contribute to the stress. In fact, kids say they feel pressured to perform by their parents or want to meet their mom and dad\u2019s high expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s why you want to help your kids be <strong>mentally<\/strong> ready before a game or competition&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kids_and_parents_say_that_just_before_a_game_young_athletes\"><\/span>Kids and parents say that just before a game, young athletes:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feel pressure to perform. Parents shouldn&#8217;t contribute to this pressure by saying things like <em>\u201cGo out there and score ten goals,\u201d<\/em> or <em>\u201cI hope you\u2019ll be the best player out there.\u201d<\/em> Instead, tell kids to go out there and have fun.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus<\/strong> too much on the outcome instead of the <strong>process.<\/strong> This means they worry too much about the score, their stats or the win.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don&#8217;t <strong>trust<\/strong> in their skills when they transition from practice to games. This means that they stay in the practice <strong>mindset<\/strong> and keep trying to hone their skills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hang on to mistakes and dwell on them in competition. <strong>Focusing<\/strong> on mistakes makes kids feel frustrated and they&#8217;re distracted too.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Worry too much about what others think just before a competition. As sports parents, you can worsen kids\u2019 need for <strong>social approval,<\/strong> which you don&#8217;t want to do!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tighten up and place safe when they feel pressure to perform. Sports parents can contribute to this by expressing <strong>high expectations<\/strong> before a game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Worry about the quality of their warm up and lose <strong>confidence<\/strong> it it didn&#8217;t go perfectly. Kids then start competition with less than a full tank of <strong>confidence.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interpret the <strong>pregame jitters<\/strong> as a sign they are anxious about the game. This can move athletes from feeling excited to feeling anxious.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"We_cover_all_these_pregame_pitfalls_and_more_in_our_brand_new_program\"><\/span>We cover all these pregame pitfalls and more in our brand new program:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;10-Minute Pregame Prep: 8 Mental Toughness Lessons for Young Athletes&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your athletes listen to one of eight 10-minute audio programs before competition, which helps them a simple lesson for <strong>pregame preparation<\/strong> each week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, parents and coaches receive 8 simple manuals for 8 practical <strong>mental game<\/strong> lessons to help you understand and instill each lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have listened to your challenges about <strong>pregame mental preparation<\/strong> and now have the perfect solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new Audio program will be on sale starting next week (Monday, January 16) and we&#8217;ll have more details then&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please share this link with other parents or coaches that would appreciate our mental game tips!<\/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\/pregame-mental-preparation-for-kids\/\"><strong>Pregame Mental Preparation For Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-power-of-pregame-visualization\/\"><strong>The Power of Pregame Visualization<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\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<\/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\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> 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>Pregame Mental Preparation For Young Athletes Just before a game or competition, kids need to be as mentally ready as possible. However, it&#8217;s hard to do this when kids feel anxious, distracted, worried or tense about what&#8217;s about to happen. This can undermine kids\u2019 performance and confidence&#8230;. Parents can inadvertently &#8230; <a title=\"Why Pregame Mental Prep is Critical for Athletes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why Pregame Mental Prep is Critical for Athletes\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[296,304],"class_list":["post-4217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-pregame-mental-preparation","tag-pregame-routine-for-sports-kids"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 5.0.0.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Just before a game or competition, kids need to be as mentally ready as possible. 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