Think of Mistakes as Learning Opportunities There are numerous advantages to kids’ embracing a growth mindset in youth sports. Kids who have a growth mindset tend to see mistakes as opportunities for growth. They rarely say, “I can’t do this.” They generally don’t feel “stuck” but instead feel as if … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Inspiring Young Athletes to Play Baseball James Lowe, aka Coach Ballgame, combines his creative skills with sandlots across the country to build in sports kids a love of baseball. Lowe began creating sandlots–on empty fields where kids could play informally–as an alternative to Little League after players approached him and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Positive Mindset for Young Athletes What’s one of the best ways coaches can communicate with young athletes? Give them high fives, and stay silent. That’s the word from Jarrett Robertson, former pro hockey player and author of “Make It a Great Day: How to Feel Awesome So That You Can … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Turning Feeling into Goals When Breanne Smedley was a college volleyball player, her roommate earned the role of starter in Smedley’s position. Smedley, who is now a certified female athlete Confidence Coach, at first felt as if her friend shouldn’t have gotten the position. “I started going down these holes … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Understanding Fight, Flight and Freeze Learning about the nervous system can help parents and young athletes better understand some of the feelings they experience, especially before games and competitions. “Our nervous system’s job is to protect us. Think about it as an early warning system, like an alarm system,” said … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Training Young Athletes to take their Sports Seriously Does Focusing Too Much on Fun Lead to Sports Kids Dropping Out? Often, parents focus too much on ensuring their kids are having fun in youth sports, which results in kids dropping out if the experience isn’t fun or entertaining, says Jonathan … Read Sport Psychology Tip