Kids and teens say they lack connections with adults in their schools, says Paul Caccamo, CEO and founder, Up2Us, a coach training program. Youth coaches can fill in the gap and build resilience, improved focus and self-esteem in young athletes, he says. To meet that goal, Up2Us partners with schools … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Studies show that when kids skip breakfast, they have a harder time focusing, are irritable and distracted by hunger. This can lead to anxiety and lower performance in sports, said Steph Magill, a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition and is a sports parent to two teens. She recently was a … Read Sport Psychology Tip
When athletes feel pressure, they naturally tend to panic, said Conor Hogan, author of The Gym Upstairs: The Neuroscience of Future Champions. If they understand some of the neuroscience of sports, they can calm themselves with techniques like visualization and meditation, he said. Listen to Learn More: Related Articles on … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Girls in sports drop out at higher rates than boys, and a number of challenges lead to that problem, says Kathryn Ackerman, a physician and director of the Female Athlete Program in the sports medicine division of Boston Children’s Hospital. She’s also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Empathy is a powerful confidence builder on youth sports teams. That’s the word from Dr. Conor Hogan, author of “The Gym Upstairs: The Neuroscience of Future Champions,” and a coach who helps young athletes improve their mental and overall performance. A team’s empathy can help individual players cope with pressure, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Karate is all about the mental game, says Master Rande Lawrence, head instructor at Lawrence World Class Karate in Fayetteville, N.Y. He coaches Matthew Killian, a blind 23-year-old with autism spectrum disorder to use his strong mental game in karate. Killian won two gold medals at his first karate competition, … Read Sport Psychology Tip