{"id":4954,"date":"2018-07-16T20:44:56","date_gmt":"2018-07-16T20:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4954"},"modified":"2025-07-10T06:42:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T10:42:02","slug":"how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal With World Cup Pressure Like The Pros"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4956\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros-1.jpg\" alt=\"How to Help Sports Kids Overcome Pressure in Sports\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros-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=\"How_to_Help_Sports_Kids_Overcome_Pressure_in_Sports\"><\/span>How to Help Sports Kids Overcome Pressure in Sports<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\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros\/#How_to_Help_Sports_Kids_Overcome_Pressure_in_Sports\" >How to Help Sports Kids Overcome Pressure in Sports<\/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\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros\/#These_big_games_are_meant_to_be_the_most_fun_so_what_could_be_going_wrong\" >These big games are meant to be the most fun, so what could be going wrong?<\/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\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros\/#To_help_your_sports_kids_excel_during_big_games_focus_them_on_what_matters_the_game\" >To help your sports kids excel during big games, focus them on what matters: the 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\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros\/#Help_them_focus_on_the_here-and-now_not_on_the_score_or_win\" >Help them focus on the here-and-now, not on the score or win.<\/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\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros\/#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-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros\/#The_Composed_Sports_Kid\" >The Composed Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>The further into the World Cup we go, the more exciting it gets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As any sports parent knows, when games get more exciting, the evil twin of excitement rears its head: <strong>pressure.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>nerves<\/strong> of even the greatest athletes in the world are on fire during these games, just as they are for your sports children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only difference between your sports kids and the best players in the world is the pros have strong <strong>mental game skills,<\/strong> which they developed over years of practice dealing with these <strong>pressures.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When your sports children feel big game <strong>pressure,<\/strong> they will likely play <strong>anxiously<\/strong> and make <strong>mistakes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are more likely to take these <strong>mistakes<\/strong> out on themselves and blame themselves when things go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They <strong>lose confidence<\/strong> and can retreat into <strong>anxiety,<\/strong> playing slow, <strong>confused,<\/strong> and generally <strong>under performing,<\/strong> while having <strong>no fun<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"These_big_games_are_meant_to_be_the_most_fun_so_what_could_be_going_wrong\"><\/span>These big games are meant to be the most fun, so what could be going wrong?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s common for kids to suffer from <strong>fear of failure<\/strong> during big games&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fear of failure is common, but the specific fears that support the fear of failure can be irrational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe kids worry that parents will care for them less if they do not perform up to <strong>expectation.<\/strong> Maybe they worry about making you or their teammates proud and think making any <strong>mistakes<\/strong> would make you angry or disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They could be <strong>worrying<\/strong> about how the coach will not like them anymore if they don&#8217;t perform up to <strong>expectations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The point is, they are stuck in a mindset of <strong>worrying<\/strong> about making <strong>mistakes<\/strong> and worrying about what others think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The truth is, parents\u2019 <strong>expectations<\/strong> don&#8217;t even need to be high in order for sports kids to feel <strong>pressured.<\/strong> They put the <strong>pressure<\/strong> on themselves, especially during big games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"To_help_your_sports_kids_excel_during_big_games_focus_them_on_what_matters_the_game\"><\/span>To help your sports kids excel during big games, focus them on what matters: the game.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Explain to them that you never expect perfect games and neither does anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they do make <strong>mistakes,<\/strong> make a flushing sign, telling them to move on, as recommended by the Positive Coaching Alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remind them to <strong>focus<\/strong> on the next play or shot. Say that you want them to have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Help_them_focus_on_the_here-and-now_not_on_the_score_or_win\"><\/span>Help them focus on the here-and-now, not on the score or win.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>worry<\/strong> and <strong>anxiety<\/strong> is about the outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn how to help your kids <strong>mentally prepare<\/strong> before games with our audio and workbook program,&#8221;10-Minute Pregame Prep:&#8221;<\/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\/finding-balance-to-reduce-sports-pressure\/\"><strong>Finding Balance To Reduce Sports Pressure<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/is-setting-goals-too-much-pressure-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>Is Setting Goals Too Much Pressure for Young Athletes?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/concussions-impact-on-the-mental-game-of-sports\/\"><strong>Concussions Impact on The Mental Game of Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to<strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>on 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=\"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>&#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><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>How to Help Sports Kids Overcome Pressure in Sports The further into the World Cup we go, the more exciting it gets. As any sports parent knows, when games get more exciting, the evil twin of excitement rears its head: pressure. The nerves of even the greatest athletes in the &#8230; <a title=\"How to Deal With World Cup Pressure Like The Pros\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-deal-with-world-cup-pressure-like-the-pros\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How to Deal With World Cup Pressure Like The Pros\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[628,301],"class_list":["post-4954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-parent-pressure","tag-pressure-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4954","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=4954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4954\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}