{"id":610,"date":"2010-04-21T17:21:17","date_gmt":"2010-04-21T17:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=610"},"modified":"2025-08-07T06:46:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T10:46:41","slug":"when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why\/","title":{"rendered":"When Should Young Athletes Start Mental Training and Why?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3646\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why-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_Tell_if_Your_Sports_Kid_is_Ready_For_Mental_Training\"><\/span>How to Tell if Your Sports Kid is Ready For Mental Training<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\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why\/#How_to_Tell_if_Your_Sports_Kid_is_Ready_For_Mental_Training\" >How to Tell if Your Sports Kid is Ready For Mental Training<\/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\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why\/#There_are_many_advantages_to_exposing_kids_to_mental_game_training_early_on\" >There are many advantages to exposing kids to mental game training early on.<\/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\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why\/#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\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why\/#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 class=\"has-text-align-left\"><em>&#8220;Is my 9-year-old too young for mental training?&#8221;<\/em> asks one sports parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s clear, she says, that her son has some <strong>mental game blocks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cIn practice he is one of the best players on his team, but his <strong>confidence<\/strong> in games is low\u2014he seems very tentative and willing to let others do the work (out of) fear of failing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Our answer:<\/strong> Kids are never too young to be exposed to <strong>mental toughness training<\/strong>. What\u2019s important is how you expose them&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When athletes are younger\u2014between the ages of 5 and 10\u2014it\u2019s important to keep the concepts simple and easy to understand. Use terms your child can understand&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you were the parent of the 9-year-old above, you might begin by gently pointing out that he really rocks during practice, but seems a little scared during games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to uncover what\u2019s behind his fear. If you suspect he goes into his hockey game with high expectations, for example, ask him about this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cDo you start the game telling yourself you\u2019re going to score tons of goals?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If he says yes, help him toss his <strong>expectations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI think you might get upset when you expect to score so many goals and don&#8217;t convert. That probably makes you play with less <strong>confidence.<\/strong> That&#8217;s a lot of pressure on yourself.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"There_are_many_advantages_to_exposing_kids_to_mental_game_training_early_on\"><\/span>There are many advantages to exposing kids to mental game training early on.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First, <strong>mental game issues<\/strong> will become part of athletes\u2019 consciousness and vocabulary. They will integrate <strong>sports psychology<\/strong> concepts naturally into their learning. They\u2019ll also realize earlier how important it is to have <strong>mental toughness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, when kids embrace <strong>mental game skills<\/strong>&nbsp;early on, they develop <strong>confidence.<\/strong> They learn strategies for keeping and enhancing that <strong>confidence<\/strong>&#8211;rather than simply reacting negatively when their performance is not perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mental game training<\/strong> also helps kids understand that they\u2019re not \u201cbad\u201d or \u201closers\u201d if they make mistakes or lose a game or competition. With some <strong>exposure<\/strong> to <strong>sports psychology<\/strong> early on, kids learn to not judge themselves based on their performance. You don&#8217;t want kids to label themselves as losers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, when kids learn about the <strong>mental game<\/strong> of sports, it transfers to school and other aspects of their lives. For example, if they learn techniques for <strong>focusing<\/strong> well in sports, they can apply these strategies to test-taking, a piano recital or other activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As parents and coaches, you should <strong>focus<\/strong> on the numerous benefits of <strong>sports psychology<\/strong>. With some <strong>mental game training,<\/strong> athletes will improve their <strong>consistency,<\/strong> boost their <strong>confidence,<\/strong> improve their <strong>focus<\/strong> and learn how to practice smarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remind your athletes that they\u2019re not broken or dysfunctional if they choose to embrace <strong>mental training.<\/strong> They\u2019re smart and more likely to gain a <strong>mental edge<\/strong> and beat out the competition!<\/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\/how-to-explain-mental-training-to-teens\/\"><strong>How to Explain Mental Training to Teens<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/mental-training-programs-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>Mental Training Programs For Young Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-explain-mental-training-to-young-athletes\/\"><strong>How to Explain Mental Training to Young Athletes<\/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>How to Tell if Your Sports Kid is Ready For Mental Training &#8220;Is my 9-year-old too young for mental training?&#8221; asks one sports parent. It\u2019s clear, she says, that her son has some mental game blocks. \u201cIn practice he is one of the best players on his team, but his &#8230; <a title=\"When Should Young Athletes Start Mental Training and Why?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-should-young-athletes-start-mental-training-and-why\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about When Should Young Athletes Start Mental Training and Why?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,13,4,6],"tags":[130,126,129,127,128],"class_list":["post-610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-confidence-in-young-athletes","category-mental-training","category-sports-psychology-for-sports-parents","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-introducing-sports-psychology-to-kids","tag-mental-toughness-training","tag-mental-toughness-training-for-athletes","tag-too-young-for-mental-training","tag-when-to-start-sports-kids-on-mental-training","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610","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=610"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}