Focus on Small Objectives It’s important for young athletes to establish goals in order to improve their training for the new year. Many young athletes have goals about the successes they’re aiming for in competition, but don’t have well-defined goals for training and practice. Training is critical to success in … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Goals not Expectations Are Good for Kids It’s important to go into a competitive season with realistic goals. They will motivate and focus young athletes. Sports kids should not go into a season with super high expectations. That will make them feel pressured, anxious and distracted. Let’s compare goals and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
“Life as a Team Sport” Campaign It’s still possible for kids to stay involved in sports during COVID-19 isolation, says Spencer Gordon, partnership manager for the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Portland. PCA, which aims to create better athletes and people, has launched a “Life as a Team Sport” campaign, which … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Learn to Play “Under The Circumstances” Do your kids feel devastated after a loss? Some kids don’t feel satisfied in sports unless they win. They need to understand that numerous factors are outside their control when it comes to winning. These include the weather, teammates’ decisions and calls from the … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Breaking the Perfectionist Pattern Richard Burke, who has been coaching baseball, football and basketball for the last 12 years, recently told us how he used our Ultimate Sports Parent program to help a perfectionist pitcher. “I had a 10-year-old pitcher playing on an 11-year-old travel team. He was doing really … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Building Confidence in Youth Sports A sports parent asks: “I hear that it’s important to help kids set goals in sports. I’m not at all sure about how to go about this. Do you have any advice?” Goal setting is essential in and out of sports. A 1979 Harvard study … Read Sport Psychology Tip