{"id":6502,"date":"2020-03-11T21:31:24","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T21:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=6502"},"modified":"2025-07-09T07:50:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T11:50:56","slug":"how-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build Confidence in Sports Kids When it Wanes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/how-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/how-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/how-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes-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=\"Interview_With_Christian_Lavers\"><\/span>Interview With Christian Lavers<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-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes\/#Interview_With_Christian_Lavers\" >Interview With Christian Lavers<\/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\/how-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes\/#Confidence_Building_Exercises\" >Confidence Building Exercises<\/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\/how-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes\/#Related_Kids_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Kids Sports Psychology Articles:<\/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-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes\/#The_Confident_Sports_Kid\" >The Confident Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s natural for youth sports kids\u2019 <strong>confidence<\/strong> to come and go, says Christian Lavers, President, Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), a youth sports competition and development organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When kids\u2019 confidence does wane, it\u2019s generally in response to a bad game or performance, a losing season, a mistake, an injury, bad luck or other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever the reason a sports kids\u2019 confidence drops, it\u2019s important for athletes to understand they are in control of gaining it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cConfidence in youth athletics is very misunderstood; our experience shows how much athletes can be in control,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way for sports kids to regain <strong>confidence<\/strong> is to put their heads down and keep getting better, he says. He calls this their work rate. They need to consistently work hard and stay focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Confidence_Building_Exercises\"><\/span>Confidence Building Exercises<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen they connect work rate with confidence and stay consistent with their work rate, their confidence will come back. This is tremendously empowering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help sports parents build confidence in sports kids, he suggests they help athletes understand that confidence ebbs and flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey need to accept confidence is going to come and go, and when it goes, they should double down on their work rate,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sports parents should also ensure that kids\u2019 interest in playing sports comes from within, not from parents, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKids will be successful at the things they enjoy and are committed to. It has to come from the player. Once it\u2019s clear that this is something an athlete wants to be good at, parents should be there to support that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parents and athletes need to also recognize that if kids set high goals, they  need to have a plan. \u201cAdults need to understand how to put together a plan,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our Interview with Christian Lavers is full of tips and tricks to help young athletes maintain their <strong>confidence<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/21564413\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/4188b5\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>\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_Kids_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Kids Sports Psychology Articles:<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\/build-confidence-with-a-positive-team-culture\/\"><strong>Build Confidence With A Positive Team Culture [Podcast]<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\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\/helping-sports-kids-build-stable-confidence\/\"><strong>Helping Sports Kids Build Stable Confidence\u00a0<\/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=\"The_Confident_Sports_Kid\"><\/span>The Confident 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 decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidssportspsychology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-confident-sports-kid-workbook250.jpg\" alt=\"Help Athletes Improve Confidence\" class=\"wp-image-2101\" style=\"width:148px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>When kids lack confidence, <strong>they doubt themselves, stop taking risks, play tentatively, and are hard on themselves<\/strong>. As a result, kids often lose their motivation to improve. Ultimately, these barriers keep them from enjoying sports and making the most of their physical talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<strong>The Confident Sports Kid<\/strong>\u201d program is actually <strong>two programs: one<\/strong> that teaches sports parents how to boost their kids\u2019 confidence, and another that teaches young athletes age 8 to 18 <strong>how to improve their self talk, avoid negative thinking, overcome expectations that limit confidence<\/strong>, and much more. The program will help kids boost their confidence in sports and life\u2026and enjoy sports more.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-6feea2fc\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-148d177e 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-5827f924 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-confident-sports-kid-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interview With Christian Lavers It\u2019s natural for youth sports kids\u2019 confidence to come and go, says Christian Lavers, President, Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), a youth sports competition and development organization. When kids\u2019 confidence does wane, it\u2019s generally in response to a bad game or performance, a losing season, a &#8230; <a title=\"How to Build Confidence in Sports Kids When it Wanes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-build-confidence-in-sports-kids-when-it-wanes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How to Build Confidence in Sports Kids When it Wanes\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[309,258],"class_list":["post-6502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parent-podcast","tag-confidence-in-youth-sports","tag-youth-sports-podcast"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6502","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=6502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6502\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}