{"id":6794,"date":"2020-10-01T17:28:08","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T17:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=6794"},"modified":"2025-07-09T06:40:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T10:40:40","slug":"helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Young Athletes to Play Functionally"},"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\/10\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally-1.jpg\" alt=\"perfectionism in young athletes\" class=\"wp-image-6795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally-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=\"How_to_Help_Perfectionist_Young_Athletes\"><\/span>How to Help Perfectionist Young Athletes<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\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally\/#How_to_Help_Perfectionist_Young_Athletes\" >How to Help Perfectionist Young Athletes<\/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\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally\/#Here_are_some_of_the_challenges_associated_with_perfectionism\" >Here are some of the challenges associated with perfectionism.&nbsp;<\/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\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally\/#How_Sports_Kids_Can_Manage_Perfectionism_in_Competition\" >How Sports Kids Can Manage Perfectionism in Competition<\/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\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally\/#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-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally\/#The_Composed_Sports_Kid\" >The Composed Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Many top athletes say that they\u2019re <strong>perfectionists<\/strong>. When they say this, sports kids may assume that perfectionism will help them attain their full potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While perfectionism has advantages, it can actually prevent young athletes from reaching their potential. While perfectionists show up for practice and work hard, they often are their own worst enemies during competition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJohn\u201d was a typical <strong>perfectionist<\/strong> with all the classic signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When he was young, his parents imposed <strong>high demands<\/strong> on him. His parents\u2019 ultimate objective was to push him to greater heights, a well-meaning goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But his parents never accepted anything less than perfection. In school, a B+ was not good enough. His parents would say, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you get an A?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In competition, if his opponent made a great save, his parents would look disapprovingly at him for not scoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, John took on perfection as his goal. He desperately wanted to please his parents and coaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After competing, John mentally replayed every mistake. He became so nervous and fearful of <strong>making mistakes<\/strong> that he made even more mistakes\u2026 and the cycle continued after he competed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the <strong>perfection cycle<\/strong>. It never brings out the best in the athletes we work with! Perfection is an impossible standard for any athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Here_are_some_of_the_challenges_associated_with_perfectionism\"><\/span>Here are some of the challenges associated with perfectionism.&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Sports kids:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have unrealistic expectations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are easily frustrated by mistakes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Suffer from fear of failure and anxiety<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perform cautiously, avoiding taking important risks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Worry about what others think<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feel they need to be seen as good athletes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Underperform in competition<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter what sports kids may hear about elite athletes, they need to understand that perfectionism will not help them perform their best during competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s true that perfectionism can help sports kids master skills. Perfectionists excel during practice. And most perfectionists love to train and improve their skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But these young athletes need to learn to <strong>perform functionally<\/strong>. This will help them play intuitively, which will help them reach their potential.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Sports_Kids_Can_Manage_Perfectionism_in_Competition\"><\/span><strong>How Sports Kids Can Manage Perfectionism in Competition<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First, kids need to play functionally, not perfectly. That means they need to focus on getting the job done. It\u2019s okay to play ugly; they shouldn\u2019t worry about looking and feeling perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, perfectionists should accept that mistakes happen in sports. They should not aim to make zero mistakes in games. They need to accept mistakes when they do make them, and learn to move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young athletes also should work on managing their unrealistic expectations and replace them with more manageable objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By toning down their expectations, moving on after making mistakes and learning to get the job done, perfectionists will discover that they\u2019re more successful&#8211;and happier in youth sports.<\/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\/help-sports-kids-grow-from-adversity\/\" title=\"Help Sports Kids Grow From Adversity\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-perfectionists-overcome-fragile-confidence\/\"><strong>Helping Perfectionists Overcome Fragile Confidence<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/playing-through-adversity\/\" title=\"Playing Through Adversity\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-one-coach-helped-a-perfectionist-athlete-with-some-help\/\"><strong>How One Coach Helped a Perfectionist Athlete<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-expectations-trap-for-perfectionists\/\"><strong>The Expectations Trap for Perfectionists<\/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=\"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>&#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><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>How to Help Perfectionist Young Athletes Many top athletes say that they\u2019re perfectionists. When they say this, sports kids may assume that perfectionism will help them attain their full potential. While perfectionism has advantages, it can actually prevent young athletes from reaching their potential. While perfectionists show up for practice &#8230; <a title=\"Helping Young Athletes to Play Functionally\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Helping Young Athletes to Play Functionally\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,18,6],"tags":[298,281,301],"class_list":["post-6794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-perfectionism-is-young-athletes","category-young-athletes-pressure","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-fear-of-failure-in-sports","tag-perfectionism-in-young-athletes","tag-pressure-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794","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=6794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}