{"id":9117,"date":"2023-07-13T14:09:05","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T18:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=9117"},"modified":"2025-07-08T06:30:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T10:30:27","slug":"help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref\/","title":{"rendered":"Help Sports Kids Cope with Bad Calls from Ref\u00a0"},"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\/07\/cope-with-bad-calls.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/cope-with-bad-calls.jpg\" alt=\"Help Sports Kids Cope with Bad Calls from Ref\" class=\"wp-image-9118\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/cope-with-bad-calls.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/cope-with-bad-calls-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=\"Emotional_Outbursts_Lead_to_a_Loss_of_Focus\"><\/span>Emotional Outbursts Lead to a Loss of Focus?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 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\/help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref\/#Emotional_Outbursts_Lead_to_a_Loss_of_Focus\" >Emotional Outbursts Lead to a Loss of Focus?<\/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\/help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref\/#Runaway_emotions_hurt_kids_performance_in_several_ways\" >Runaway emotions hurt kids\u2019 performance in several ways:<\/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\/help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref\/#Emotional_Control_and_Focus\" >Emotional Control and Focus<\/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\/help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref\/#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\/help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref\/#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\">You can\u2019t take <strong>emotions<\/strong> out of the game. By nature, we are emotional beings. However, when young athletes don\u2019t reel in their <strong>emotions<\/strong>, they will intensify, and their performance will decline rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Mary S. is a high school basketball player. After a referee gave her two questionable fouls early in the first quarter, she quickly became angry. She felt the referee was singling her out and not calling fouls on defenders covering her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She lost her focus and turned the ball over three times afterward, leading to scores from the opposing team. In an act of frustration, she committed a hard foul on a player on a breakaway at the end of the quarter, and her coach pulled her from the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She wasn\u2019t able to find her rhythm for the rest of the game due to her inability to regain <strong>control of her emotions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Runaway_emotions_hurt_kids_performance_in_several_ways\"><\/span>Runaway <strong>emotions<\/strong> hurt kids\u2019 performance in several ways:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Negative thoughts and negative <strong>emotions<\/strong> go hand in hand. Thoughts such as \u201cThis official has something against me\u201d intensify negative emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When sports kids are bothered by bad calls, they lose their focus. Instead of focusing on performance cues, they\u2019re angry about past calls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intense emotions cause anxiety and heightened physical arousal. Athletes\u2019 breathing becomes shallow, their heart beats rapidly, their muscles become tight and their energy level declines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When young athletes feel officials are being unfair or singling them out, they will expect additional bad calls. As a result, they will likely play cautiously for the remainder of the competition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kids will make an increased number of uncharacteristic mistakes. Their technical game is thrown off, and their performance spirals downward quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emotional_Control_and_Focus\"><\/span>Emotional Control and Focus<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Managing <strong>emotions<\/strong> is an essential mental skill for athletes. When kids brush off bad calls and keep their emotions in check, they will be able to maintain their poise, redirect their thoughts, regain their focus and perform at a high level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a 108-100 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors\u2019 Fred VanVleet was upset after receiving a technical foul. After the game, during which the Raptors were called for 23 fouls, VanVleet voiced his displeasure with the officiating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou come out tonight, you\u2019re competing pretty hard, third quarter, I get a tech, [it] changes the whole dynamic of the game, changes the whole flow of the game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the postgame press conference, VanVleet criticized the NBA\u2019s officiating and believes he has become the target of one referee in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOn most nights, out of the three (referees), there\u2019s one or two that just [mess up] the game, and it\u2019s been like that a couple of games in a row,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One bad call doesn\u2019t mess up the game. Kids\u2019 reaction to the call messes up their mindset and performance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When kids learn to manage their <strong>emotions<\/strong>, they can refocus their attention on the game and perform like they do when calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sports kids should stay in the moment and not dwell on the call. They can do this by refocusing when they notice their mind is in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kids can also take a few deep breaths from their abdomen and add self-talk, telling themselves, \u201cIt\u2019s behind me, move on\u201d or \u201cThat\u2019s in the past, let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/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\/good-stress-and-bad-stress-for-youth-sports-kids\/\"><strong>Good Stress and Bad Stress for Youth Sports Kids<\/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\/athletes-who-are-impatient-and-lack-commitment-in-sports\/\"><strong>Athletes Who Are Impatient And Lack Commitment in Sports [Podcast]<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/top-performance-busting-distractions-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>Top Performance-Busting Distractions For Young Athletes<\/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 <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=\"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>Emotional Outbursts Lead to a Loss of Focus? You can\u2019t take emotions out of the game. By nature, we are emotional beings. However, when young athletes don\u2019t reel in their emotions, they will intensify, and their performance will decline rapidly. For example, Mary S. is a high school basketball player. &#8230; <a title=\"Help Sports Kids Cope with Bad Calls from Ref\u00a0\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-sports-kids-cope-with-bad-calls-from-ref\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Help Sports Kids Cope with Bad Calls from Ref\u00a0\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[310,39],"class_list":["post-9117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-focus-in-youth-sports","tag-kids-sports-psychology","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.7.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When kids learn to manage their emotions, they can refocus their attention on the game and perform like they do when calm. 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