{"id":6994,"date":"2021-01-28T09:35:45","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T14:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=6994"},"modified":"2025-07-09T06:01:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T10:01:42","slug":"young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Athletes Need these Two Mental Skills for Success"},"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\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success-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\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success-1.jpg\" alt=\"Trust and Confidence\" class=\"wp-image-6997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success-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=\"Help_Young_Athletes_Build_Trust_and_Confidence\"><\/span>Help Young Athletes Build Trust and Confidence<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\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success\/#Help_Young_Athletes_Build_Trust_and_Confidence\" >Help Young Athletes Build Trust and Confidence<\/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\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success\/#Ben_Simmons_Has_Confidence_and_Trust_in_His_Shot\" >Ben Simmons Has Confidence and Trust in His Shot<\/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\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success\/#Parents_Can_Help_Sports_Kids_Develop_Trust_and_Confidence\" >Parents Can Help Sports Kids Develop Trust and Confidence<\/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\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success\/#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\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success\/#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=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Trust <\/strong>and<strong> confidence<\/strong> are very important for young athletes&#8217; success in sports and are interrelated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If athletes lack confidence, they don\u2019t believe in their ability to perform under pressure. If they don\u2019t trust their skills, they lack confidence heading into competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take a look at confidence and trust, both <strong>mental game skills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When your athletes feel confident, they believe they have the physical and mental traits needed to perform a skill. They believe they can develop skills through training and practice. And they have faith in their ability to perform a skill in competition, in spite of the pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When athletes <strong>trust<\/strong> in their abilities, they know they have practiced enough&#8211;doing physical repetitions, for example&#8211;to just go for it and rely on muscle memory when they\u2019re playing. Trust allows kids to simplify their game during competition. When they trust in themselves, they can be decisive and play athletically. They stay in the moment and don\u2019t think about the outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Confidence and trust influence each other. Kids build <strong>trust<\/strong> through repetition and practice. They build <strong>confidence<\/strong> by being prepared and recognizing their successes, improvements and positive qualities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When athletes lack trust or confidence, they under-perform and are hesitant during competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ben_Simmons_Has_Confidence_and_Trust_in_His_Shot\"><\/span>Ben Simmons Has Confidence and Trust in His Shot<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s an example: Point guard Ben Simmons, a four-year veteran of the Philadelphia 76ers, is known for his aggressive defense and passing, but he\u2019s also known for being hesitant about taking outside jump shots, especially from the three-point range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his first three seasons, Simmons only attempted three shots from the three-point line, going 1-for-3. In the first few games of the 2020-21 season, Simmons has attempted two three-pointers and made both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why has he improved? Simmons has been practicing and working on his three-point shot before games and in practices, developing both <strong>confidence<\/strong> and <strong>trust<\/strong> in his shot. It is clear that Simmons\u2019 work has paid off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simmons described one of his three-pointers this season against the Orlando Magic. Simmons just released the ball with no conscious thought or worry about the outcome, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI came down [ the court]\u2026 Joel (Embiid) threw to me in the corner, and I let that go. Joel threw the pass, he knew I was gonna put it up. It was a shot that I work on, corner threes. I feel comfortable taking it so I knocked it down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teammate Seth Curry said he\u2019s confident in Simmons\u2019 ability to make three-pointers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve seen him make it in practice, and I know he can knock it down. Especially from the corner, so it\u2019s just a matter of him doing it in a game and stepping into it with confidence. It didn\u2019t look like there was too much hesitation on the shot, and I expected it to go in, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When, like Simmons, young athletes work on their physical skills, without self-judgment or harsh criticism, they build the needed trust and confidence to perform at their peak under the pressure of competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parents_Can_Help_Sports_Kids_Develop_Trust_and_Confidence\"><\/span>Parents Can Help Sports Kids Develop Trust and Confidence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parents can help kids build <strong>trust<\/strong> and <strong>confidence<\/strong> by encouraging them to practice, prepare, test their skills and repeat the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To help build trust and confidence, young athletes should visualize themselves performing skills successfully in competition. When they visualize, they imprint those images in their mind, which helps them during competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sports kids should mentally rehearse playing freely and athletically during their warm-up routines. Then they should get into the mindset that practice is behind them; it\u2019s time to just compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Improving <strong>trust<\/strong> and<strong> confidence<\/strong> is critical to performance and success in sports. Parents should help kids understand these benefits, and help their kids work on building these all-important skills.<\/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_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\/5-pregame-mental-skills-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>5 Pregame Mental Skills For Young Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/addressing-anxiety-mistakes-and-low-confidence-in-youth-sports\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/can-athletes-5-10-years-old-learn-mental-skills-for-success\/\"><strong>Can Athletes 5-10 Years Old Learn Mental Skills for Success?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-role-of-mental-game-skills-for-sports-kids\/\"><strong>The Role of Mental Game Skills for Sports Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>on 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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 wp-block-paragraph\"><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>Help Young Athletes Build Trust and Confidence Trust and confidence are very important for young athletes&#8217; success in sports and are interrelated. If athletes lack confidence, they don\u2019t believe in their ability to perform under pressure. If they don\u2019t trust their skills, they lack confidence heading into competitions. Let\u2019s take &#8230; <a title=\"Young Athletes Need these Two Mental Skills for Success\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/young-athletes-need-these-two-mental-skills-for-success\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Young Athletes Need these Two Mental Skills for Success\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,10,6],"tags":[309,325],"class_list":["post-6994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-confidence-in-young-athletes","category-not-trusting-physical-skills","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence-in-youth-sports","tag-trust-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6994","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=6994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}