{"id":4456,"date":"2017-05-18T19:45:20","date_gmt":"2017-05-18T19:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4456"},"modified":"2025-07-11T02:23:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T06:23:01","slug":"where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Does Sports Kids&#8217; Pressure Come From?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4458\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from.jpg\" alt=\"Sports Kids Pressure\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from-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=\"Coaches_Friends_Not_Parents_Pressure_Sports_Kids\"><\/span>Coaches &amp; Friends, Not Parents, Pressure Sports Kids<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\/where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from\/#Coaches_Friends_Not_Parents_Pressure_Sports_Kids\" >Coaches &amp; Friends, Not Parents, Pressure 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\/where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from\/#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-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from\/#The_Composed_Sports_Kid\" >The Composed Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The number of kids playing team sports is dropping quickly&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To understand the factors behind this drop off, <a href=\"https:\/\/yellowbrickprogram.com\/pressure-youth-sports-study\/\">Yellowbrick Treatment Program<\/a> surveyed 1,000 Americans about <strong>pressure<\/strong> in youth sports, says Matt Zajechowski, senior content strategist for Yellowbrick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those surveyed were people who identified as having played and participated in youth sports\u2014athletes and former athletes, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;We wanted to see if parental and peer <strong>pressure<\/strong> had an impact on youth participation in sports as well as see what kind of effect it had on people throughout their lives,&#8221;<\/em> says Zajechowski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results are in some ways surprising. Forty-two percent of respondents says coaches were the biggest source of <strong>pressure<\/strong> and 27 percent said friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Parents<\/strong> were actually named as the biggest supporters in sports, according to the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thirty-two percent of respondents said <strong>Mom<\/strong> was the biggest supporter. Thirty-one percent of respondents said <strong>Dad<\/strong> was the biggest supporter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Coach<\/strong> came in next, with 19 percent of respondents naming coaches as biggest supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The average number of team sports played per participant has dropped by 6 percent over the last five years and participation in all sports is down 10 percent, the study found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also interesting is the fact that, according to the study, <strong>pressure<\/strong> to <strong>succeed<\/strong> in sports has increased over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;Millennials were 10 times as likely to feel <strong>pressured<\/strong> by their parents than Baby Boomers,&#8221;<\/em> says Zajechowski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here at Kids\u2019 Sports Psychology and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/\">Youth Sports Psychology<\/a>, we believe that young athletes\u2019 interest in sports should come from within\u2014not from friends, coaches, parents or anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our aim is to help parents and coaches instill <strong>confidence<\/strong> in young athletes\u2014not pressure them to <strong>succeed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Resources<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/yellowbrickprogram.com\/pressure-youth-sports-study\/\">Pressure &amp; Youth Sports Study<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learn how you can support your athletes with our new audio program for parents and young athletes:<\/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\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/\"><strong>Tips for Playing Under Pressure<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-overcome-choking-under-pressure\/\"><strong>Why Kids Choke Under Pressure<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-pressure-of-expectations-for-kids\/\"><strong>The Pressure of Expectations for Kids<\/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=\"The_Composed_Sports_Kid\"><\/span>The Composed Sports Kid<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/composed-sports-kid-small-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Composed Sports Kid\" class=\"wp-image-11173\" style=\"width:170px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The Composed Sports Kid&#8221; audio&nbsp;and workbook digital download program for young athletes and their parents or coach helps kids cope with frustration and anger in sports. Help your sports kids learn how to manage expectations and let go of mistakes so they can keep their head in the game.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>The Composed Sports Kid system<\/strong><\/em>&nbsp;is really two programs in one\u2013one program to train parents and coaches how to help their kids practice composure, and one program that teaches young athletes\u2013<em>ages 6 to 13<\/em>\u2013how to improve composure, let go of mistakes quickly, have more self-acceptance,&nbsp;<strong>and thus enjoy sports more<\/strong>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-26bcd9b3\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-903b6244 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-sports-kid-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-3275f4fd gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/confident-sports-kid-series-digital-version\/products\/the-confident-sports-kid-bundle-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coaches &amp; Friends, Not Parents, Pressure Sports Kids The number of kids playing team sports is dropping quickly&#8230; To understand the factors behind this drop off, Yellowbrick Treatment Program surveyed 1,000 Americans about pressure in youth sports, says Matt Zajechowski, senior content strategist for Yellowbrick. Those surveyed were people who &#8230; <a title=\"Where Does Sports Kids&#8217; Pressure Come From?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/where-does-sports-kids-pressure-come-from\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Where Does Sports Kids&#8217; Pressure Come From?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,35,19,295,25,6],"tags":[36,301],"class_list":["post-4456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kids-in-sports","category-pressure-from-parents","category-pressure-in-sports","category-sports-psychology-for-sports-parents-2","category-youth-sports-coach","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-pressure-and-kids-in-sports","tag-pressure-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4456","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=4456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}