{"id":5228,"date":"2019-05-09T19:15:03","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T19:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=5228"},"modified":"2025-07-10T05:26:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T09:26:08","slug":"how-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"How Young Athletes Find Flow in Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/how-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5235\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/how-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/how-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_Flow_and_Peak_Performance_in_Sports\"><\/span>&nbsp;Flow and Peak Performance 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-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports\/#_Flow_and_Peak_Performance_in_Sports\" >&nbsp;Flow and Peak Performance in Sports<\/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\/how-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports\/#In_his_book_%E2%80%9CFlow_in_Sports%E2%80%9D_Dr_C_offers_nine_qualities_that_describe_the_mindset_of_an_athlete_in_the_flow_state\" >In his book \u201cFlow in Sports,\u201d Dr. C. offers nine qualities that describe the mindset of an athlete in the flow state:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/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-young-athletes-find-flow-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-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports\/#The_Composed_Sports_Kid\" >The Composed Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>For young athletes, <strong>finding flow<\/strong> is critical for their enjoyment and peak performance in sports\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When kids experience being \u201cin the zone,\u201d they are focused, confident, and fearless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes in a flow state perform on \u201cautopilot,\u201d feeling as though performance is almost effortless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, this focused state of concentration or \u201c<strong>total focus<\/strong>\u201d may be a prerequisite to entering the zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, a psychologist at the University of Chicago, has studied the phenomenon of &#8220;Flow&#8221; throughout his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. C. studied a variety of athletes\u2014basketball players, dancers, rock climbers, chess players, factory workers and other performers\u2014to understand why people enjoy activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He learned that when people become fully absorbed into an activity, they reach a state people described as flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_his_book_%E2%80%9CFlow_in_Sports%E2%80%9D_Dr_C_offers_nine_qualities_that_describe_the_mindset_of_an_athlete_in_the_flow_state\"><\/span>In his book \u201c<strong>Flow in Sports<\/strong>,\u201d Dr. C. offers nine qualities that describe the mindset of an athlete in the flow state:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Challenge-Skills balance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Merging of action and awareness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clear goals present<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unambiguous feedback<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Concentration on the task at hand<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sense of control<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loss of self-consciousness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Transformation of time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Autotelic experience (intrinsic)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>What Dr. C. concluded was that when these elements are present, an &#8220;order in consciousness&#8221; occurs, which allows people to &#8220;merge with the activity.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, <strong>flow<\/strong> states help athletes have fun (His research originally focused on how people have fun and enjoy their lives without extrinsic rewards). Just being in flow is enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We certainly know that all four elements of concentration are present in sports\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, sports are challenging by definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, sports usually match the skills of individuals or teams in a competitive environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, the goals of sports are clear\u2014to hit a jump shot or to sink a ten foot putt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, athletes get instant feedback related to their performance\u2014whether or not they miss the basket or sink the putt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is the takeaway from his work on <strong>flow<\/strong>? When athletes become immersed in the task of performing and have confidence to meet the challenge, they perform well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You help athletes to become immersed by defining what&#8217;s important to focus on and what&#8217;s just a distraction.<\/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\" 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-young-athletes-get-into-a-flow-state\/\"><strong>Help Young Athletes Get into a Flow State<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/teach-young-athletes-how-to-get-into-the-flow\/\"><strong>Teach Young Athletes How to Get Into the Flow<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/teaching-kids-courage-resilience-and-character-through-sports\/\"><strong>Teaching Kids Courage, Resilience and Character Through 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><\/strong>\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>&#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>&nbsp;Flow and Peak Performance in Sports For young athletes, finding flow is critical for their enjoyment and peak performance in sports\u2026 When kids experience being \u201cin the zone,\u201d they are focused, confident, and fearless. Athletes in a flow state perform on \u201cautopilot,\u201d feeling as though performance is almost effortless. In &#8230; <a title=\"How Young Athletes Find Flow in Sports\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-young-athletes-find-flow-in-sports\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Young Athletes Find Flow in Sports\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,23,7,3,6,12],"tags":[601],"class_list":["post-5228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kids-in-sports","category-sports-kids","category-sports-psychology-for-kids","category-youth-sports","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","category-youth-sports-tips","tag-flow-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5228","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=5228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5228\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}