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 sports kids see other young athletes performing well in social media clips, they make comparisons, which can sink their confidence. Often, a 10-second clip on social media involves many takes, and can be misleading. But sports don’t always realize this and feel like they don’t measure up, said John … 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
Performance anxiety, mistakes and low confidence are some of the top challenges for girls who play volleyball–challenges that help them learn important lessons in life, said Leah Jantzen, a former Ironman and marathon runner who is now a mental health and performance coach at Ward Melville High School, Long Island. … Read Sport Psychology Tip