{"id":9027,"date":"2023-02-23T20:32:29","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T01:32:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=9027"},"modified":"2025-07-08T07:10:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T11:10:08","slug":"how-sports-kids-emotions-affect-teammates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-kids-emotions-affect-teammates\/","title":{"rendered":"How Sports Kids\u2019 Emotions Affect Teammates"},"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\/02\/emotions-affect-teammates.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/emotions-affect-teammates.jpg\" alt=\"How Sports Kids\u2019 Emotions Affect Teammates\" class=\"wp-image-9030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/emotions-affect-teammates.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/emotions-affect-teammates-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=\"Parents_and_Coaches_Often_Overlook_Players_Emotions\"><\/span>Parents and Coaches Often Overlook Players\u2019 Emotions <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\/how-sports-kids-emotions-affect-teammates\/#Parents_and_Coaches_Often_Overlook_Players_Emotions\" >Parents and Coaches Often Overlook Players\u2019 Emotions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-kids-emotions-affect-teammates\/#One_player_can_make_a_big_difference\" >One player can make a big difference!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/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\/how-sports-kids-emotions-affect-teammates\/#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-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-kids-emotions-affect-teammates\/#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>It may seem as if a player\u2019s negative emotions or outbursts only affect the player, but the impact is much more far-reaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In one of our Ultimate Sports Parent podcasts, our guest explained that negative emotions can spread, like a virus, from one team member to others. She called this \u201c<strong>emotional contagion.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at two scenarios. Imagine a basketball team that is battling for a playoff spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One player is particularly volatile on the court if a teammate makes a mistake. She yells at that player and won\u2019t even pass her the ball when she\u2019s open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All the players on the court and the bench sense her anger and frustration. The tension on the court affects the whole team dynamic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our second scenario, a quarterback is sacked for the fourth time in a game. He stands on the sideline with his head down, dejected, and isolates himself from his teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He appears to have given up on the team, and with five minutes left in the fourth quarter trailing by 10 points, the offense begins to feel the game is lost.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The quarterback\u2019s <strong>negative emotions<\/strong> have sent messages to his teammates, affecting how they respond to him and perform in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Negative emotions<\/strong> can trigger a domino effect throughout your team. Negative emotions poison team morale, cohesion and motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conversely, <strong>positive emotions<\/strong> can promote a productive mood among teammates. If a player feels determined, those around her will pick up on those emotions, and her teammates will feel energized.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a young athlete makes a mistake in a game but maintains their poise, their teammates will take notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Team members will feel more confident, motivated and focused on responding positively. When kids are excited about meeting a challenge in a game, their teammates rally around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_player_can_make_a_big_difference\"><\/span><strong>One player can make a big difference!<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Young athletes should consider three key points to help them become more aware of how their emotions affect their teammates.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They should ask themselves:<br>1. How have you responded to stressful circumstances in the past?<br>2. How did your negative emotions affect your performance?<br>3. How did your emotions impact your teammates\u2019 performance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important that kids have a <strong>productive impact <\/strong>on their teams. When this happens, they are good leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Philadelphia Eagles headed into the 2023 Super Bowl, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox was asked about Philadelphia\u2019s quarterback Jalen Hurts\u2019 poise and leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEven when things aren\u2019t going our way or his way, you never see him really frustrated,\u201d said Cox.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou never see him screaming at a teammate for maybe messing something up, or it didn\u2019t go the way that he wanted it to go. When your quarterback is like that, you definitely want to go out and play harder for him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The spread of <strong>emotions<\/strong> among teammates impacts team play. Young athletes need to learn that controlling their emotions is a critical mental skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids should consider how their emotions affect their performance or their teammates\u2019 performance. They need to think about the message they want to send to their teammates during competitions. How can they respond during stressful situations in ways that motivate and energize their team?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young athletes can\u2019t stop themselves from feeling strong emotions, but with mental training, they can manage their emotions and help give their team a boost.<\/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\/how-parents-emotions-affect-sports-kids\/\"><strong>How Parents\u2019 Emotions Affect Sports Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref\/\"><strong>Help Sports Kids Cope with Bad Calls from Ref\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-power-of-pregame-visualization\/\"><strong>The Power of Pregame Visualization<\/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=\"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>Parents and Coaches Often Overlook Players\u2019 Emotions It may seem as if a player\u2019s negative emotions or outbursts only affect the player, but the impact is much more far-reaching. In one of our Ultimate Sports Parent podcasts, our guest explained that negative emotions can spread, like a virus, from one &#8230; <a title=\"How Sports Kids\u2019 Emotions Affect Teammates\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-kids-emotions-affect-teammates\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Sports Kids\u2019 Emotions Affect Teammates\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[264,117],"class_list":["post-9027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence-in-young-athletes","tag-youth-sports-psychology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9027","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=9027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}