{"id":9188,"date":"2023-12-14T11:14:53","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T16:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=9188"},"modified":"2025-07-08T05:44:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:44:56","slug":"when-youth-sports-feels-toxic-athletes-need-these-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-youth-sports-feels-toxic-athletes-need-these-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"When Youth Sports Feels Toxic, Athletes Need These Skills\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\/2024\/01\/Toxic-Sports.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Toxic-Sports.jpg\" alt=\"When Youth Sports Feels Toxic, Athletes Need These Skills\" class=\"wp-image-9189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Toxic-Sports.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Toxic-Sports-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=\"What_Skills_Help_Youth_Athletes_with_Toxic_Environments\"><\/span>What Skills Help Youth Athletes with Toxic Environments?<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\/when-youth-sports-feels-toxic-athletes-need-these-skills\/#What_Skills_Help_Youth_Athletes_with_Toxic_Environments\" >What Skills Help Youth Athletes with Toxic Environments?<\/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\/when-youth-sports-feels-toxic-athletes-need-these-skills\/#Develop_These_Skills\" >Develop These Skills<\/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\/when-youth-sports-feels-toxic-athletes-need-these-skills\/#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\/when-youth-sports-feels-toxic-athletes-need-these-skills\/#The_Composed_Sports_Kid\" >The Composed Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>When coaches are negative or condescending toward their players or when parents argue with refs, youth sports can feel toxic to young athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That can lead to anxiety, depression and fear of failure. This behavior from coaches can undermine athletes\u2019<strong> self-esteem<\/strong> and spark injuries, said Hillary Cauthen, a sport psychologist who works in mental health and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The author of Hello Trauma: Our Invisible Teammate, Cauthen was a recent guest on our Ultimate Sports Parent podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe hear a lot of name-calling, shaming, embarrassment and punishment from coaches,\u201d she said. Athletes might adapt this kind of negative behavior in their interactions with each other. This can hurt kids\u2019 self-worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help address these<strong> mental health issues<\/strong> in sports, coaches and parents can focus on improving both the game and the athletes\u2019 mental game, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, coaches should be held accountable if they harass or shame their players. And parents should avoid hassling referees for what they see as bad calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes should be taught coping skills for managing stress and anxiety. They can learn deep breathing techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Develop_These_Skills\"><\/span>Develop These Skills<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBreathing allows you to slow everything down in your environment and to be grounded in that place, and then you&#8217;ll have much more clarity, confidence and creativity in your thought process,\u201d she said. It also allows athletes to be more grounded in the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, athletes should be encouraged to keep journals of their sports experience to help them improve their <strong>self-talk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou know, the messages we tell ourselves let our body respond. And so if you&#8217;re constantly telling yourself, \u2018don&#8217;t mess up\u2019 or \u2018just relax\u2019, our bodies are conflicting with what we need to be doing at the moment,\u201d Cauthen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When athletes are <strong>stressed<\/strong>, they might also hyper focus, which creates challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re hyper focused on what maybe the current problem is\u2013the fears, the worries and anxiety\u2013 you can get you stuck in that kind of catastrophic thinking, like, \u2018everything is falling apart,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under these circumstances, young athletes can take five minutes to practice mindfulness. Once kids are in a calm state, their bodies can be proactive and quick to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young athletes should also have a place to look at that <strong>grounds them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you&#8217;re on the basketball court and you just maybe had a turnover and you&#8217;re feeling really stressed and it&#8217;s a high pressure game and you&#8217;re afraid of what your coach is gonna think, sometimes just looking toward a place in the court is helpful,\u201d Cauthen said. It might be an out-of-bounds line, for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, before playing, young athletes should set an intention and go through a warm-up exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey might have a pre- performance routine to get themselves in the right mental emotional state,\u201d she said. This should include an intention.<\/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\/help-sports-kids-grow-from-adversity\/\" title=\"Help Sports Kids Grow From Adversity\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-toxic-sports-cultures-hurt-kids-mental-health\/\">How Toxic Sports Cultures Hurt Kids\u2019 Mental Health<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-help-athletes-who-stop-trying-or-give-up\/\">How to Help Athletes Who Stop Trying or Give Up<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-stop-overthinking\/\" title=\"How Athletes Can Stop Overthinking&nbsp;\">How Athletes Can Stop Overthinking&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to&nbsp;<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;on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/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=\"The_Composed_Sports_Kid\"><\/span>The Composed 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=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/composed-sports-kid-small-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Composed Sports Kid\" class=\"wp-image-11173\" style=\"width:170px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The Composed Sports Kid&#8221; audio&nbsp;and workbook digital download program for young athletes and their parents or coach helps kids cope with frustration and anger in sports. Help your sports kids learn how to manage expectations and let go of mistakes so they can keep their head in the game.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>The Composed Sports Kid system<\/strong><\/em>&nbsp;is really two programs in one\u2013one program to train parents and coaches how to help their kids practice composure, and one program that teaches young athletes\u2013<em>ages 6 to 13<\/em>\u2013how to improve composure, let go of mistakes quickly, have more self-acceptance,&nbsp;<strong>and thus enjoy sports more<\/strong>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-26bcd9b3\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-903b6244 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-3275f4fd gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/confident-sports-kid-series-digital-version\/products\/the-confident-sports-kid-bundle-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Skills Help Youth Athletes with Toxic Environments? When coaches are negative or condescending toward their players or when parents argue with refs, youth sports can feel toxic to young athletes. That can lead to anxiety, depression and fear of failure. This behavior from coaches can undermine athletes\u2019 self-esteem and &#8230; <a title=\"When Youth Sports Feels Toxic, Athletes Need These Skills\u00a0\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-youth-sports-feels-toxic-athletes-need-these-skills\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about When Youth Sports Feels Toxic, Athletes Need These Skills\u00a0\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[310,301],"class_list":["post-9188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-focus-in-youth-sports","tag-pressure-in-youth-sports","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9188","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=9188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}