{"id":5921,"date":"2019-07-01T16:11:52","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T16:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=5921"},"modified":"2025-07-10T05:10:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T09:10:13","slug":"athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Athletes Who Do Well in Practice, But Struggle During Games"},"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\/07\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games-1-300x150.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=\"Kids_Who_Fail_to_Perform_Well_in_Competition\"><\/span> Kids Who Fail to Perform Well in Competition <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 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\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games\/#Kids_Who_Fail_to_Perform_Well_in_Competition\" >Kids Who Fail to Perform Well in Competition<\/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\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games\/#Different_Mental_Approach\" >Different Mental Approach<\/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\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games\/#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\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games\/#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\">A sports grandparent says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have a 10-year-old grandson who plays little league baseball. When he started playing at 8 years old he was very aggressive and very good at making contact with the baseball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last two years his <strong>confidence<\/strong> has decreased\u2026stepping out of the batter\u2019s box instead of stepping toward the pitcher. At home and in practice he crushes the ball. How can I help him take his <strong>confidence<\/strong> from practice to games?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this situation, sports parents (and grandparents) need to begin by finding out what is undermining their sports kids\u2019 <strong>confidence<\/strong>. Some reasons might include recent under performance, doubt, trying to hard, or negative thoughts and distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this case, the fact that this young athlete is still performing well in practice suggests that he may be having issues performing in front of crowds or when he feels pressure in games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask your athletes if they expect to be perfect in games. Do they have any<strong> self-doubt<\/strong> about their performance or if they worry about making mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Different_Mental_Approach\"><\/span>Different Mental Approach<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Find out if kids are comparing themselves to teammates or opponents who have been more successful recently. Are they worried about what people may be thinking? Such challenges will hurt their performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, help kids focus on proactive <strong>confidence<\/strong> or taking control of their confidence level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What does <strong>confidence<\/strong> feels like to them while batting? What do they concentrate on? How does their performance feel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If kids are still performing well &#8211; and with <strong>confidence<\/strong> &#8211; in practice, what feels different in games? How does hitting the ball in games change for kids, and what are what changes with their thinking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, help kids focus on their belief in their skills, instead of on results or getting hits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Athletes like this know they are good hitters because they can hit in practice! Consider having kids list their strengths and skills during their best moments. Have them review the list before games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And parents, avoid focusing on what your kids are doing wrong in games as you don&#8217;t want them to think they must be perfect and avoid mistakes!<\/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\/helping-young-athletes-who-get-timid-during-competition\/\"><strong>Helping Athletes Who Get Timid During Competition<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-kids-play-better-in-practice-than-games\/\"><strong>When Kids Play Better in Practice Than Games<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-parents-can-help-kids-before-games\/\"><strong>How Sports Parents Can Help Kids Before Games<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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 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>Kids Who Fail to Perform Well in Competition A sports grandparent says, \u201cI have a 10-year-old grandson who plays little league baseball. When he started playing at 8 years old he was very aggressive and very good at making contact with the baseball. The last two years his confidence has &#8230; <a title=\"Athletes Who Do Well in Practice, But Struggle During Games\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/athletes-who-do-well-in-practice-but-struggle-during-games\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Athletes Who Do Well in Practice, But Struggle During Games\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,18,6],"tags":[301],"class_list":["post-5921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kids-in-sports","category-young-athletes-pressure","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-pressure-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.8 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sports parents (and grandparents) need to begin by finding out what is undermining their sports kids\u2019 confidence. 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