{"id":6985,"date":"2021-01-21T11:25:28","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T16:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=6985"},"modified":"2025-07-09T06:02:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T10:02:47","slug":"motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active\/","title":{"rendered":"Motivates Kids to Play Sports and Stay Active"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active-1.jpg\" alt=\"Motivation for Young Athletes\" class=\"wp-image-6988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active-1-300x150.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=\"Give_Sports_Kids_Tanglible_Goals\"><\/span>Give Sports Kids Tanglible Goals<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\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active\/#Give_Sports_Kids_Tanglible_Goals\" >Give Sports Kids Tanglible Goals<\/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\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active\/#Motivate_Sports_Kids_with_Celebrations\" >Motivate Sports Kids with Celebrations<\/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\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active\/#Listen_to_the_Ultimate_Sports_Parent_Podcast\" >Listen to the Ultimate Sports Parent Podcast<\/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\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active\/#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-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active\/#The_Confident_Sports_Kid\" >The Confident Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Cami Hawkins, CEO of Marathon Kids, an organization that provides resources for schools to start running clubs, <strong>motivating kids<\/strong> is all about setting small goals and celebrating success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an Ultimate Sports Parent podcast interview, Hawkins described how the organization\u2019s coaches set goals that are specific to kids\u2019 interests and abilities. They also celebrate participants\u2019 successes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen they set goals, they make sure they are achievable and can check them off in chunks and celebrate when they get to the overall goal,\u201d she says. Marathon Kids uses a mileage log to track achievements in small increments. \u201cBy starting with a quarter mile, they can achieve these huge numbers,\u201d says Hawkins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The organization gives kids different ways of tracking their mileage visually. They can color in graphs or produce leaderboards. The idea is to help them understand that they don\u2019t have to achieve their goals all at once; they can work toward them a little at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When <strong>setting goals<\/strong>, coaches should \u201cmeet kids where they are,\u201d and understand each child\u2019s abilities and goals, says Hawkins. Some children might struggle to get through their first mile of running. For others, the first mile is easy. Overall, the aim is to set the stage for kids wanting to do more, even after they reach their overall goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Motivate_Sports_Kids_with_Celebrations\"><\/span>Motivate Sports Kids with Celebrations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Celebrations are also key to motivating kids, says Hawkins. Marathon Kids, which works within the Austin, Texas and other school systems, has a kickoff event in Austin at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s also a celebration at the end of the season. The organization even encourages coaches to celebrate smaller gains through the year. These events can be school assemblies or fun runs, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marathon Kids has discovered that trophies and prizes don\u2019t necessarily motivate runners. For the last five years, kids earned some kind of prize when they achieved a milestone. But the prizes were expensive and increased the cost of the program. \u201cWe wanted to open up access to the program so anyone could do it and so we wouldn\u2019t be limited by the constraints of the price of prizes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The organization stopped offering prizes, and instead offered a digital lap tracking application. We implemented a less expensive sticker-based prize system was implemented. Just as many people wanted to participate in the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe found that kids get just as much value out of the celebration and recognition as a physical t-shirt or bracelet or medal,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For parents eager to get their kids running or involved in sports, it\u2019s important to keep Hawkins\u2019 experiences in mind: Set achievable, incremental <strong>goals<\/strong> and be sure to celebrate kids\u2019 progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She adds that it\u2019s a bad idea to use running as a punishment. The negativity of the punishment&#8211;whether it\u2019s for making mistakes in sports or in school&#8211;makes it harder to <strong>motivate kids<\/strong> to get moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Listen_to_the_Ultimate_Sports_Parent_Podcast\"><\/span>Listen to the Ultimate Sports Parent Podcast<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/21564353\/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-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_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\/anxiety-and-depression-in-sports-kids\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-motivates-kids-to-play-sports-parents-you-might-be-surprised\/\"><strong>What Motivates Kids to Play Sports? This Will Surprise You [Podcast]<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-motivates-kids-without-pressuring-them\/\"><strong>What Motivates Kids (Without Pressuring Them)?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-athletes-compare-themselves-to-others\/\"><strong>When Athletes Compare Themselves to Others<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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_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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\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>Give Sports Kids Tanglible Goals For Cami Hawkins, CEO of Marathon Kids, an organization that provides resources for schools to start running clubs, motivating kids is all about setting small goals and celebrating success. In an Ultimate Sports Parent podcast interview, Hawkins described how the organization\u2019s coaches set goals that &#8230; <a title=\"Motivates Kids to Play Sports and Stay Active\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/motivates-kids-to-play-sports-and-stay-active\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Motivates Kids to Play Sports and Stay Active\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[615,459],"class_list":["post-6985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parent-podcast","tag-goal-setting-in-youth-sports","tag-motivation-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6985","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=6985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}