{"id":7047,"date":"2021-04-07T15:07:01","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T19:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=7047"},"modified":"2025-07-09T05:54:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T09:54:05","slug":"feelings-can-be-contagious-in-youth-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/feelings-can-be-contagious-in-youth-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"Feelings Can be Contagious in Youth Sports"},"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\/2019\/04\/important-dos-and-donts-for-sports-parents-before-games-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/important-dos-and-donts-for-sports-parents-before-games-1.jpg\" alt=\"Playing Time in Sports\" class=\"wp-image-5204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/important-dos-and-donts-for-sports-parents-before-games-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/important-dos-and-donts-for-sports-parents-before-games-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=\"How_Emotions_Affect_Young_Athletes\"><\/span>How Emotions Affect 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\/feelings-can-be-contagious-in-youth-sports\/#How_Emotions_Affect_Young_Athletes\" >How Emotions Affect Young Athletes<\/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\/feelings-can-be-contagious-in-youth-sports\/#Young_athletes_will_mimic_parents_facial_expression_tone_and_body_language_%E2%80%9CThe_first_step_is_mimicry%E2%80%9D_she_says\" >Young athletes will mimic parents\u2019 facial expression, tone and body language. \u201cThe first step is mimicry,\u201d she says.<\/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\/feelings-can-be-contagious-in-youth-sports\/#Emotional_contagion_can_also_be_a_positive_force\" >Emotional contagion can also be a positive force.<\/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\/feelings-can-be-contagious-in-youth-sports\/#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\/feelings-can-be-contagious-in-youth-sports\/#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>Athletes can pick up on others\u2019 feelings&#8211;often negative&#8211;in youth sports. In fact, feelings can snowball from one player to another, either lifting the team up emotionally or dragging it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s the message from Jess Woods, Ph.D, a sport and performance consultant, sports parent and youth sports coach. She calls this phenomenon emotional contagion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cEmotional contagion is the bread and butter when it comes to parents and their relationships with their athlete,\u201d <\/em>she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Young_athletes_will_mimic_parents_facial_expression_tone_and_body_language_%E2%80%9CThe_first_step_is_mimicry%E2%80%9D_she_says\"><\/span>Young athletes will mimic parents\u2019 facial expression, tone and body language. <em>\u201cThe first step is mimicry,\u201d<\/em> she says.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First athletes become aware of another person\u2019s emotion and how it\u2019s affecting their bodies. Then the contagion begins. Kids will embody the emotion of the person they are interacting with. More often than not, this happens on an unconscious level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All the kids on a team can \u201ccatch\u201d negative emotions expressed by a parent, coach or player, says Woods. But if parents and coaches are more aware of their own emotions, they can help stop the emotional contagion. They can also check in with kids about their feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWe see this play out with athletes,\u201d<\/em> says Woods. <em>\u201cIf individuals are not aware of their own mannerisms and body language, or how to process emotions, they can transmit them to someone else, creating a situation of annoyance, unhappiness or frustration.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emotional_contagion_can_also_be_a_positive_force\"><\/span>Emotional contagion can also be a positive force. <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If a team member is happy and positive, he or she can transmit these feelings to others on the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say one parent gives one athlete negative feedback. That athlete picks up on those emotions and may start criticizing teammates.<em> \u201cIt can be a recipe for disaster,\u201d<\/em> says Woods. <em>\u201cEveryone feels like they are coming from a place of helpfulness.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s parents\u2019 responsibility to be aware of their emotions and how they\u2019re affecting their sports kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Woods had to rush home from work to take her daughter to a game, and her daughter wasn\u2019t prepared; she hadn\u2019t put on her shoes and shinguards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than pushing her daughter to go faster, she changed her perspective and language in an effort to calm herself&#8211;and her daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To deal with emotional contagion, coaches can do a quick check in with all athletes, or check in with them one-on-one before practice. The coach then knows the kids\u2019 attitudes and can keep an eye out for emotional contagion. It\u2019s also important to check in after the practice, Woods says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Listen to the entire interview with Woods:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/lisacohn.audioacrobat.com\/download\/lisacohn-20210406142757-5039.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\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\/helping-kids-identify-their-feelings-before-a-game\/\"><strong>Helping Kids Identify Their Feelings Before a Game<\/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\/addressing-outbursts-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>Addressing Outbursts in Youth Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-resolve-conflicts-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>How to Resolve Conflicts in Youth Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p 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>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>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\"><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>How Emotions Affect Young Athletes Athletes can pick up on others\u2019 feelings&#8211;often negative&#8211;in youth sports. In fact, feelings can snowball from one player to another, either lifting the team up emotionally or dragging it down. That\u2019s the message from Jess Woods, Ph.D, a sport and performance consultant, sports parent and &#8230; <a title=\"Feelings Can be Contagious in Youth Sports\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/feelings-can-be-contagious-in-youth-sports\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Feelings Can be Contagious in Youth Sports\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7047","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=7047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}