{"id":4903,"date":"2018-05-03T15:41:39","date_gmt":"2018-05-03T15:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4903"},"modified":"2025-07-10T06:54:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T10:54:17","slug":"mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Blocks in Youth Sports: When Kids Tank"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4906\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank.jpg\" alt=\"Mental Blocks in Youth Sports\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank-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=\"Do_Young_Athletes_Have_Mental_Blocks\"><\/span>Do Young Athletes Have Mental Blocks?<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\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank\/#Do_Young_Athletes_Have_Mental_Blocks\" >Do Young Athletes Have Mental Blocks?<\/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\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank\/#What_messages_are_my_sports_children_receiving_from_me_about_my_expectations_for_their_performance\" >What messages are my sports children receiving from me about my expectations for their performance?<\/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\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank\/#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\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank\/#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>A sports parent says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;I have a 12-year-old son who is having major <strong>mental blocks<\/strong> as it comes to baseball. He feels the <strong>pressure<\/strong> to live up to the hype of making it to the World Series. His pitching has improved tremendously however in today\u2019s game he walked the first batter and felt the last ball was a strike and he was done <strong>mentally.<\/strong> It went from bad to worse and it also affected his hitting where he struck out twice.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;We have a critical game this Tuesday against a team he let it get the best of him and we lost due to lack of <strong>confidence<\/strong> and with everyone telling him you have to win this game or we are out of the running for first place. Nothing I say is right. He blames himself for today\u2019s loss. He says he can\u2019t pitch or hit anymore and its terrible. Please help. Thanks.&#8221;<\/em><br><strong> ~Angie, Sports Parent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, we have the classic example of a <strong>perfectionist<\/strong>&#8230; He expects that he will lead his team to the World Series Championship!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This expectation is causing him an undue amount of <strong>stress<\/strong> and is likely hurting his performance. Leading to tanking: Inability to think clearly and giving up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>However, here\u2019s the good news:<\/strong> The parent understands that the problem is the boy\u2019s <strong>expectations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Identifying the <strong>mental game issue<\/strong> is always the first step when dealing with sports children who are having <strong>confidence<\/strong> issues. The root of the issue often lies in a belief about how athletes think they should perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expectations<\/strong> are unwritten demands your athletes have about their performance. Problems arise when they fail to meet these demands and in response get <strong>frustrated<\/strong> and then <strong>lose confidence<\/strong> in their game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When they become <strong>frustrated<\/strong> and <strong>distracted,<\/strong> they are bound to make more mistakes, compounding the <strong>negative effect<\/strong> and creating a very unhealthy cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ask yourself this question:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_messages_are_my_sports_children_receiving_from_me_about_my_expectations_for_their_performance\"><\/span>What messages are my sports children receiving from me about my expectations for their performance?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, sports kids take on their parents\u2019 <strong>expectations,<\/strong> even when their parents don\u2019t intentionally want to impose these <strong>expectations.<\/strong> Be careful what you say around your sports kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t put undue <strong>expectations<\/strong> on them, even if you\u2019re trying to be <strong>positive:<\/strong> <em>&#8220;You could have scored 30 points tonight!&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such statements impose a results-oriented expectation in your sports kids\u2019 minds, which distracts them from <strong>focusing<\/strong> on what they need to do in the here-and-now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of discussing results, <strong>focus<\/strong> on <strong>mini-goals.<\/strong> Sports kids need to <strong>focus<\/strong> on being in the moment, <strong>concentrating<\/strong> on playing hard on defense, or being good team players, or making quality passes.<\/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\/youth-sports-an-athletes-emotional-tank\/\"><strong>Youth Sports: An Athletes \u201cEmotional Tank\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-sports-kids-build-stable-confidence\/\"><strong>Helping Sports Kids Build Stable Confidence\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/post-game-tips-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>Post-Game Tips for Young Athletes<\/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 <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>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>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\"><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>Do Young Athletes Have Mental Blocks? A sports parent says: &#8220;I have a 12-year-old son who is having major mental blocks as it comes to baseball. He feels the pressure to live up to the hype of making it to the World Series. His pitching has improved tremendously however in &#8230; <a title=\"Mental Blocks in Youth Sports: When Kids Tank\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/mental-blocks-in-youth-sports-when-kids-tank\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Mental Blocks in Youth Sports: When Kids Tank\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,27,17,6],"tags":[624,281],"class_list":["post-4903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-perfectionism-in-sports","category-perfectionism-is-young-athletes","category-sports-parenting","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-high-expectations-in-youth-sports","tag-perfectionism-in-young-athletes"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4903","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=4903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}