{"id":7447,"date":"2022-07-13T08:51:18","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T12:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=7447"},"modified":"2025-07-31T01:26:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T05:26:22","slug":"boosting-athletes-confidence-with-life-skills-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/boosting-athletes-confidence-with-life-skills-lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"Boosting Athletes\u2019 Confidence with Life Skills Lessons"},"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\/2021\/01\/how-young-athletes-can-use-mental-imagery-to-boost-performance-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\/how-young-athletes-can-use-mental-imagery-to-boost-performance-1.jpg\" alt=\"Mental Imagery for Young Athletes\" class=\"wp-image-6980\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/how-young-athletes-can-use-mental-imagery-to-boost-performance-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/how-young-athletes-can-use-mental-imagery-to-boost-performance-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=\"Life_Skills_Lessons_for_Athletes\"><\/span>Life Skills Lessons for 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\/boosting-athletes-confidence-with-life-skills-lessons\/#Life_Skills_Lessons_for_Athletes\" >Life Skills Lessons for 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\/boosting-athletes-confidence-with-life-skills-lessons\/#Each_day_Skyhawks_focuses_on_different_life_skills%E2%80%A6\" >Each day, Skyhawks focuses on different life skills&#8230;<\/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\/boosting-athletes-confidence-with-life-skills-lessons\/#Listen_to_the_entire_podcast\" >Listen to the entire 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\/boosting-athletes-confidence-with-life-skills-lessons\/#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\/boosting-athletes-confidence-with-life-skills-lessons\/#The_Confident_Sports_Kid\" >The Confident Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Kids are coming to Skyhawks Sports Academy camps with confidence challenges, says Sarah Kelley-Reid, a sports parent and the East Coast regional manager at Skyhawks Sports Academy, which provides skill-based sports experiences for kids 4-14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some, <strong>social media is dragging down their confidence<\/strong>. Some kids get bullied or teased on social media and this hurts their confidence in sports as well as other areas of their lives, she told us during an Ultimate Sports Parent podcast interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI do feel with social media everyone is put on this massive mirror to look at themselves and pick themselves apart and people are much meaner to each other than they would be in person,\u201d says Kelly-Reid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And kids\u2019 immersion in texting and social media makes it harder for them to communicate in person with coaches and teammates, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, some kids are having a hard time being good teammates, she says. .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">build kids\u2019 confidence<\/a><\/strong> in sports and other areas of their lives, Skyhawk Sports <strong>teaches life skills <\/strong>and uses coaches certified by the Positive Coaching Alliance, which has established numerous strategies for communicating in positive ways with sports kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Each_day_Skyhawks_focuses_on_different_life_skills%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>Each day, Skyhawks focuses on different life skills&#8230;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe model it, teach it, praise it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Skyhawks Sports focuses first and foremost on respect. That\u2019s due in part to the fact that the young athletes don\u2019t always listen to their coaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe talk about it on Monday to set the stage. We need to respect ourselves and avoid negative self-talk,\u201d says Kelley-Reid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Skyhawks also focuses on ensuring the kids respect each other, their coaches and the facilities where they play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That sets the stage for the rest of the week.&nbsp; And all other <strong>life skills revolve around respect<\/strong>, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The program recently added inclusion as an important life skill. This helps build kids\u2019 confidence because it ensures no one feels left out. And it also helps develop teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe want everyone to feel included. We\u2019re not singling anyone out who looks different or talks differently or is differently abled,\u201d says Kelley-Reid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, the program uses <strong>Positive Coaching Alliance<\/strong> (PCA)&nbsp; strategies to ensure coaches are communicating in positive ways with kids. In fact, all of the coaches in the program are certified as PCA coaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those strategies include always giving five true compliments along with suggestions for improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPCA is all about keeping youth sports fun and positive and making sure you are given five praises for every one criticism. It\u2019s about giving high fives and saying awesome job and smiling,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Listen_to_the_entire_podcast\"><\/span>Listen to the entire 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\/23729255\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/4188b5\/\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" oallowfullscreen=\"\" msallowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"90\"><\/iframe>\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_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\/when-sports-teaches-life-skills\/\"><strong>When Sports Teaches Life Skills \u2013 According to Abby Wambach<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-helping-athletes-transfer-sports-skills-to-life\/\"><strong>Tips for Helping Athletes Transfer Sports Skills to Life<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-mental-game-skills-help-kids-in-academics-and-life\/\"><strong>Why Mental Game Skills Help Kids in Academics and Life<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to&nbsp;<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>&nbsp;<\/strong>on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a><\/strong> 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 loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/confident-sports-kid-med.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11913\" style=\"width:148px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/confident-sports-kid-med.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/confident-sports-kid-med-270x300.jpg 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>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>\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>Life Skills Lessons for Athletes Kids are coming to Skyhawks Sports Academy camps with confidence challenges, says Sarah Kelley-Reid, a sports parent and the East Coast regional manager at Skyhawks Sports Academy, which provides skill-based sports experiences for kids 4-14. For some, social media is dragging down their confidence. Some &#8230; <a title=\"Boosting Athletes\u2019 Confidence with Life Skills Lessons\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/boosting-athletes-confidence-with-life-skills-lessons\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Boosting Athletes\u2019 Confidence with Life Skills Lessons\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7452,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[39,652],"class_list":["post-7447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parent-podcast","tag-kids-sports-psychology","tag-life-skills-for-athletes"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7447","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=7447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}