{"id":69,"date":"2009-02-27T03:22:09","date_gmt":"2009-02-27T03:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=69"},"modified":"2025-08-08T05:08:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T09:08:57","slug":"why-composure-is-so-important-for-young-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-composure-is-so-important-for-young-athletes\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Composure is so Important for Young Athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/young-athletes-training.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/young-athletes-training.jpg\" alt=\"Help Young Athletes Compete Under Pressure\" class=\"wp-image-9088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/young-athletes-training.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/young-athletes-training-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Composure_in_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Composure in Youth 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\/why-composure-is-so-important-for-young-athletes\/#Composure_in_Youth_Sports\" >Composure 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\/why-composure-is-so-important-for-young-athletes\/#Here_are_classic_questions_from_sports_parents_about_this_issue\" >Here are classic questions from sports parents about this issue:<\/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\/why-composure-is-so-important-for-young-athletes\/#Athletes_need_to_change_the_way_they_think_about_mistakes\" >Athletes need to change the way they think about mistakes.<\/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\/why-composure-is-so-important-for-young-athletes\/#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-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-composure-is-so-important-for-young-athletes\/#The_Composed_Sports_Kid\" >The Composed Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Does your young athlete have trouble coping with mistakes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do your athletes check out during games because they can&#8217;t let go of mistakes? In fact, 35% of sports parents we surveyed said that their young athletes struggle with<strong> letting go of mistakes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, if your kids can&#8217;t let go of mistakes, this can spiral into real <strong>&#8220;mental<\/strong> game&#8221; challenges in sports. When this spiral begins, young athletes become<strong> frustrated, lose confidence, and get angry<\/strong> or give up altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some parents have described this syndrome as &#8220;checking out.&#8221; Their kids stop caring because they are in the grips of <strong>frustration and anger<\/strong>. We admit that this sounds harsh, but this is the reality. In fact, some kids, like the one mentioned below, are even threatened with getting kicked off their teams!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to be <strong>successful,<\/strong> your young athletes need to learn how to <strong>let go of mistakes and remain composed<\/strong>. If they can&#8217;t stay <strong>composed,<\/strong> they risk not playing up to their potential. Then one mistake snowballs into more mistakes, which snowballs into the fear of more missed goals, missed putts, turnovers, lost rebounds&#8230;.and more bad performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This is what it looks like:<\/strong> A young basketball player begins a game with high hopes. But after a few missed shots, he stops shooting. He&#8217;s afraid of missing more shots. He stops taking risks and plays very <strong>tentatively.<\/strong> He&#8217;s not very effective, and starts to feel frustrated&#8211;even angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Here_are_classic_questions_from_sports_parents_about_this_issue\"><\/span>Here are classic questions from sports parents about this issue:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;How do I help my child cope with his frustration after mistakes or poor performance?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;I need help addressing all the challenges regarding my daughter being too hard on herself and crying when she makes mistakes.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And here&#8217;s a quote from a sports parent who&#8217;s grappling with what can happen when a young athlete&#8217;s lack of composure really gets out of hand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;My 11-year-old daughter is a pitcher. She loses her <strong>composure<\/strong> over errors in the game and lets it affect her pitching. She is on the verge of being taken off the team because of her behavior. How do we stop this?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OK, enough of the bad news about why kids dwell on mistakes. We can help. To stop the downward spiral that&#8217;s prompted by losing <strong>composure<\/strong> after making mistakes, young athletes need to learn the secrets of staying composed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s the topic of our latest e-Book for young athletes, &#8220;Seven Strategies to Help Young Athletes Stay Composed after Making Mistakes.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do we have all the answers? No, but we know the top strategies to help your kids play on with <strong>composure after mistakes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you&#8217;ll learn that athletes are more likely to lose <strong>composure<\/strong> if they&#8217;re <strong>perfectionists<\/strong>, or if they try too hard to show others they&#8217;re good players, or they have high standards for their performance. Plus other reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll learn a number of tips for helping athletes stay composed after making mistakes, including this one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Athletes_need_to_change_the_way_they_think_about_mistakes\"><\/span>Athletes need to change the way they think about mistakes.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Our latest e-Book includes tips for doing just that. For example, sports kids need to replace thoughts that create frustration with thoughts that help them let go of mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more about our latest e-Book, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology E-book Library<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All our Kids&#8217; e-Books are free for members. Some are written specifically for kids; some are written for parents. Our free library also includes e-Books about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How to set appropriate <strong>goals<\/strong> in youth sports<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How parents can <strong>motivate<\/strong> young athletes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How sports kids can <strong>overcome perfectionism<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How sports parents can help young athletes get into the flow<br>of sports<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Visit Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology to preview our e-books:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology E-book Library<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll also find videos, articles, audio interviews and much more.<\/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\/help-sports-kids-grow-from-adversity\/\" title=\"Help Sports Kids Grow From Adversity\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-improve-composure-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>How To Improve Composure In Youth Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-improve-composure-in-sports\/\"><strong>Helping Young Athletes Improve Composure in Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-stop-overthinking\/\" title=\"How Athletes Can Stop Overthinking\u00a0\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/\"><strong>Tips for Playing Under Pressure<\/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>Composure in Youth Sports Does your young athlete have trouble coping with mistakes? Do your athletes check out during games because they can&#8217;t let go of mistakes? In fact, 35% of sports parents we surveyed said that their young athletes struggle with letting go of mistakes. In other words, if &#8230; <a title=\"Why Composure is so Important for Young Athletes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-composure-is-so-important-for-young-athletes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why Composure is so Important for Young Athletes\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,7,6],"tags":[43,45,395,396,394,44,109,253,46],"class_list":["post-69","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-training","category-sports-psychology-for-kids","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-composure","tag-emotional-control","tag-frustration-and-errors","tag-kids-frustration","tag-letting-go-of-errors","tag-letting-go-of-mistakes","tag-mental-game-for-kids","tag-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-sports-psychology","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69","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=69"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}