{"id":9184,"date":"2023-11-30T10:56:39","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T15:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=9184"},"modified":"2025-07-08T05:48:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:48:49","slug":"why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Sports Must be Fun for Young Athletes"},"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\/2024\/01\/sports-must-be-fun.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sports-must-be-fun.jpg\" alt=\"Why Sports Must be Fun for Young Athletes\" class=\"wp-image-9185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sports-must-be-fun.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sports-must-be-fun-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=\"Benefits_Of_Having_Fun_During_Practices_and_Games\"><\/span>Benefits Of Having Fun During Practices and Games<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\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/#Benefits_Of_Having_Fun_During_Practices_and_Games\" >Benefits Of Having Fun During Practices and Games<\/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\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/#His_programs_revolve_around_silly_games_and_fun_competitions%E2%80%A6\" >His programs revolve around silly games and fun competitions&#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\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/#How_Enjoyment_Affects_Your_Play\" >How Enjoyment Affects Your Play<\/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\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/#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\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/#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>Creating <strong>fun<\/strong> for kids is an important focus for Kevin Hoover, CEO of Rally Day Camps and an owner of youth baseball and softball camps for major league baseball teams like the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<strong>Fun<\/strong> and safety are key components. Even at the highest levels, we&#8217;re just big believers that it has to start with fun,\u201d he said during an interview with our Ultimate Sports Parent podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"His_programs_revolve_around_silly_games_and_fun_competitions%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>His programs revolve around silly games and fun competitions&#8230;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe find that kids learn best oftentimes when they <strong>don&#8217;t realize that they&#8217;re learning<\/strong>,\u201d Hoover said<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, when teaching young kids how to throw a baseball, coaches place a batting tee in front of the kids with a mini teddy bear on it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can teach them while they&#8217;re excited about making that bear go flying through the air,\u201d Hoover said. When coaches teach hitting, the coaches place hula hoops on the field and give kids points for hitting the ball into different colored hoops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the young athletes get older, they get <strong>excited<\/strong> about keeping score and tracking points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s an important lesson in life because the reality in life, whether it&#8217;s in athletics or academics or work, is that there&#8217;s some days you win and some days you lose and some days you\u2019re in the middle,\u201d Hoover said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the coaches don\u2019t just give points for physical success. They also reward mental game attributes, including hustling and being good team players. The rewards might include stickers or trading cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when kids are quick to support one another, they also earn rewards. A sports kid who jumps off the bench to pump up another player who strikes out will be rewarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just oriented around the success on the field or the success on the court, but it&#8217;s oriented around the success of the kid&#8217;s character,\u201d Hoover said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hoover acknowledged that focusing on competitions and rewards may create <strong>pressure<\/strong>. But he believes that this kind of pressure is good practice for the kind of pressure sports kids will experience later on in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Enjoyment_Affects_Your_Play\"><\/span>How Enjoyment Affects Your Play<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hoover\u2019s coaches also try to keep kids focused on the moment while <strong>encouraging competition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think that it&#8217;s kind of a conflict of interest in some ways, encouraging competition and then also trying to keep them focused on the moment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To strike a balance, coaches often take breaks during games to pause and reset kids\u2019 focus so that they\u2019ll stay more in the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The coaches also <strong>celebrate failure<\/strong>. The program aims to teach kids that they can learn from failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, Hoover\u2019s focus on creating <strong>fun <\/strong>and engaging sports kids translates to other areas of the players\u2019 lives, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think that children who have <strong>fun <\/strong>in a camp or sports environment probably seek that out in other parts of their lives because it\u2019s a good euphoric feeling \u00a0to enjoy something that you&#8217;re working hard at,\u201d he said.<\/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\/helping-young-athletes-have-more-fun\/\"><strong>Helping Young Athletes Have More Fun\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-to-play-functionally\/\"><strong>Helping Young Athletes to Play Functionally<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/josh-tholes-take-on-coping-with-mistakes\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>Should Parents Only Focus on Fun in Youth Sports?<\/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>Benefits Of Having Fun During Practices and Games Creating fun for kids is an important focus for Kevin Hoover, CEO of Rally Day Camps and an owner of youth baseball and softball camps for major league baseball teams like the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. \u201cFun and safety &#8230; <a title=\"Why Sports Must be Fun for Young Athletes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why Sports Must be Fun for Young Athletes\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[309,39],"class_list":["post-9184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence-in-youth-sports","tag-kids-sports-psychology","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9184","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=9184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}