{"id":60,"date":"2008-07-24T20:38:26","date_gmt":"2008-07-24T20:38:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=60"},"modified":"2025-08-08T05:31:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T09:31:22","slug":"8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Confidence Busters for Sports Kids You Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know-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=\"Confidence_Busters_in_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Confidence Busters in Youth 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\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know\/#Confidence_Busters_in_Youth_Sports\" >Confidence Busters in Youth 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\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know\/#What_undermines_kids_confidence_in_sports\" >What undermines kids&#8217; confidence in sports?<\/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\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know\/#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\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know\/#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>Sports, at any level, are&nbsp;a game of confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids who have tons of <strong>confidence<\/strong> usually will rise above the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under pressure, these kids&#8217; performance will thrive because of their <strong>strong belief<\/strong> <strong>in their ability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We receive many emails from concerned sports parents stating that their kids struggle with <strong>confidence<\/strong> and <strong>self-doubt<\/strong>&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parents are concerned that their kids <strong>focus too much on the negative<\/strong>, <strong>express negative comments<\/strong> about their performance, are generally <strong>pessimistic<\/strong>, and <strong>disqualify<\/strong> any real <strong>positives.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you might experience with your sports kids, <strong>confidence<\/strong> can be <strong>fragile or fleeting<\/strong>. If your child has fragile <strong>confidence,<\/strong> one mistake, at the start of a game, can pop the thin <strong>confidence<\/strong> bubble and lead your kid into the <strong>mental<\/strong> shackles of <strong>doubt<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_undermines_kids_confidence_in_sports\"><\/span>What undermines kids&#8217; confidence in sports?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here is our short list:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Self-doubt about one&#8217;s ability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Self-critical behavior or negative self-talk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focusing<\/strong> too much on errors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High, strict expectations about performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The need to be perfect in sports, but can&#8217;t<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Making comparisons to other athletes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overly critical coaches or parents<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attributing <strong>success<\/strong> to luck and not ability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another <strong>confidence buster<\/strong> for your kids is when they <strong>focus too much on the negative<\/strong> and can&#8217;t accept <strong>positive<\/strong> comments from others. In psychology, they call this &#8220;disqualifying the <strong>positive&#8221;<\/strong> &#8211; a so-called cognitive distortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes who disqualify the <strong>positive<\/strong> perceive good performances as flukes. They hang onto a negative view of the world. They have trouble <strong>focusing<\/strong> on what they did well. Have you ever complemented your child on a job well done and your child responds with <em>&#8220;I was lucky&#8221;<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At KidsSportsPsychology.com, we encourage parents to help kids learn how to accentuate the <strong>positive<\/strong> and learn from mistakes&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We want parents and coaches to begin a <strong>post-game conversation<\/strong> by making two <strong>positive<\/strong> comments about their son&#8217;s or daughter&#8217;s game. You encourage them to <strong>focus<\/strong> on the <strong>positive<\/strong> and not mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pick out two simple areas you can complement your son or daughter about&#8230; For example, <em>&#8220;You really hustled on defense today and made some great stops.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>First,<\/strong> you are more likely to get your player&#8217;s attention by starting with a couple of <strong>positive<\/strong> comments. <strong>Second,<\/strong> you teach kids to remember the good plays and not dwell on their mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Part of human nature is to be <strong>self-critical<\/strong> after a game &#8211; even when your child performed well. One step in building kids <strong>confidence<\/strong> is to help them see through their own self-criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You want kids to appreciate what needs to improve, but not dwell on their shortcomings after a performance.<\/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\/helping-kids-overcome-confidence-busters\/\"><strong>Helping Kids Overcome Confidence Busters<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-young-athletes-overcome-confidence-busters\/\"><strong>Help Young Athletes Overcome Confidence Busters<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-sports-kids-regain-confidence\/\"><strong>Helping Sports Kids Regain Confidence<\/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>Confidence Busters in Youth Sports Sports, at any level, are&nbsp;a game of confidence. Kids who have tons of confidence usually will rise above the competition. Under pressure, these kids&#8217; performance will thrive because of their strong belief in their ability. We receive many emails from concerned sports parents stating that &#8230; <a title=\"8 Confidence Busters for Sports Kids You Should Know\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/8-confidence-busters-for-sports-kids-you-should-know\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about 8 Confidence Busters for Sports Kids You Should Know\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,17,6],"tags":[50,259,117],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-confidence-in-young-athletes","category-sports-parenting","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-self-confidence","tag-sports-parenting","tag-youth-sports-psychology","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60","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=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}