Kids in sports articles and tips for sports parents, young athletes, and youth coaches to improve mental performance in sports.
How do your athletes respond to constructive criticism? Do they reject it outright or welcome it from coaches? Why do some athletes reject corrections or constructive feedback from their coaches? Athletes are afraid of constructive criticism for several reasons: They feel they are negatively being judged. The criticism confirms some … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Train Your Mind to Respond Well to Adversity This is something young athletes can achieve, but it takes practice. It doesn’t necessarily come naturally. Young athletes need to train their brains to respond automatically to challenging situations. To do this, they should consistently tell themselves positive, empowering messages. If they … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Improve Mental Toughness by Playing Pickleball Pickleball’s popularity is growing quickly, with many schools offering it for the first time. That’s the word from Mike Nielsen, the AAU’s new pickleball chief, and In Pickleball president Richard Porter. In fact, the two pickleball enthusiasts are working to ensure the sport is … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How Can Your Daughter Overcome Stereotypes? Stereotypes about girls in sports undermine girls’ confidence, dreams and performance, says Donny DeDonatis III, CEO of the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), a former pro athlete and the dad of twins in youth sports. As the head of the USSSA, DeDonatis is … Read Sport Psychology Tip
After Performing Poorly Do Your Athletes Dwell on Mistakes? Athletes always want to perform well and often feel expectations from you to do well. Well-meaning parents want to improve performance by eliminating mistakes. Imagine how that would play out in your athlete’s mind, “I missed three 5—foot putts, shanked two … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Do Your Sports Kids Not Get Enough Playing Time? Successful athletes often make sacrifices. Yet, one of the most challenging sacrifices for some athletes is accepting their role on the team. Players’ roles can frequently change due to injuries, roster shake-ups, changes in playing style, coach preferences, or a new … Read Sport Psychology Tip