{"id":5958,"date":"2019-07-24T19:43:41","date_gmt":"2019-07-24T19:43:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=5958"},"modified":"2025-07-10T04:48:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T08:48:31","slug":"tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Helping  Sports Kids Focus on What\u2019s Important"},"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\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important-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=\"Finding_Flow_in_Sports\"><\/span>Finding Flow in Sports<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\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important\/#Finding_Flow_in_Sports\" >Finding Flow 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\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important\/#He_encourages_them_to_get_in_their_bodies_and_play_more_instinctively_to_focus_on_the_here-and-now\" >He encourages them to get in their bodies and play more instinctively, to focus on the here-and-now.<\/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\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important\/#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\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important\/#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>Brooks Elms, a youth sports coach and former Division 3 player for NYU, says that as a young athlete, he was very anxious and too <strong>focused<\/strong> on winning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He brings that background to his coaching, helping kids cope with butterflies and focus on what\u2019s most important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent interview, he described being a sports kid whose identity was wrapped up in being successful. He often felt very anxious, and stopped wrestling due to anxiety, but continued playing team sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, as a youth sports coach, he\u2019s quick to tell kids about his own <strong>mental game<\/strong> challenges as a kid. He tells them how he learned to cope with those feelings as he got older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs I went past my peak athletically and slowed down, I started getting some of those inner tools; how to stay calm, stay focused. I started thinking about how much should winning matter? And now I try to bring those questions back to the kids. The focus should be playing our best and focusing in as a team. Winning ultimately isn\u2019t a great measurement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, when he\u2019s coaching, he asks his team members to check in with their feelings before games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I try to get them connected to inward connections. I ask if they have butterflies, I tell them about my butterflies. Then we acknowledge the butterflies and move past them. I want to help with that awareness and let them know it\u2019s okay to feel scared or nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"He_encourages_them_to_get_in_their_bodies_and_play_more_instinctively_to_focus_on_the_here-and-now\"><\/span>He encourages them to get in their bodies and play more instinctively, to <strong>focus<\/strong> on the here-and-now.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIdeally, the more we think about the task at hand, the better. We should think about our feelings when they come up, and acknowledge them and then move back to the task at hand. If you don\u2019t take that time to work on the feelings when they come up in kids, you won\u2019t be able to move back to the task at hand as much,\u201d said Elms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One technique for helping kids manage the anxiety of penalty kicks is to have them chant. When Elms works with middle schoolers, he tells them to chant:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s awesome when I score, it\u2019s okay when I mess up and it\u2019s awesome when I score.\u201d&nbsp; The goal is to help get their minds ready to be excited to score but ready to miss the shot if it happens, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here at Youth Sports Psychology and Kids\u2019 Sports Psychology, we agree that it\u2019s important to help kids <strong>focus<\/strong> on the task at hand and move quickly past mistakes. And as Elms said, winning should not be the primary goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not about winning, it\u2019s about being fully engaged in the game. We can focus on full engagement, teamwork, anything in our control. Winning is almost never directly in our control,\u201d said Elms, who is a filmmaker and consultant who many years ago produced a film about a college soccer team. His Twitter account is here: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrooksElms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Brooks Elms (opens in a new tab)\">Brooks Elms<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When athletes can find the flow in sports, this is a reward for them. They enjoy being fully immersed into what they are doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to the full Interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/lisacohn.audioacrobat.com\/download\/lisacohn-20190723101333-5255.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\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_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\/how-this-sport-builds-confidence-and-focus-in-kids\/\"><strong>How This Sport Builds Confidence and Focus in Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-nutrition-affects-sports-kids-focus-and-performance\/\"><strong>How Nutrition Affects Sports Kids\u2019 Focus and Performance<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-sports-kids-with-focusing-challenges-like-adhd\/\"><strong>Tips for Sports Kids With Focusing Challenges like ADHD<\/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 <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=\"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>Finding Flow in Sports Brooks Elms, a youth sports coach and former Division 3 player for NYU, says that as a young athlete, he was very anxious and too focused on winning. He brings that background to his coaching, helping kids cope with butterflies and focus on what\u2019s most important. &#8230; <a title=\"Tips for Helping  Sports Kids Focus on What\u2019s Important\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-helping-sports-kids-focus-on-whats-important\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Tips for Helping  Sports Kids Focus on What\u2019s Important\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,18,6],"tags":[301],"class_list":["post-5958","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":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5958","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=5958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}