How to Help Young Athletes Stay in the Present Mistakes and losses are part of the game in sports. But often, kids fear them. There are two types of athletes in sports: The first focuses on the fear of making mistakes while the second athlete focuses on making plays. When … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The Importance of Game Plans Game plans are blueprints for performing well or beating competitors during competition–and they’re only helpful if kids put them into action during games or competition. For example, in football, young athletes’ plan may be to identify the style of defense they’ll play during different game … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Young Athletes who are Perfectionist “I have a son, age 15. He is skilled in many sports at school. Rugby, Hockey, XC running and Athletics (sprint and long jump where he holds the school record in both these).” “When he makes a mistake he can ‘lose’ it and can be … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Keep Athletes in the Game A sports parent asks: “My son is a HS freshman with huge potential in football but is not wanting to pursue it, he says he does not feel ‘passionate’ about it, even after being told by a few retired coaches and refs that … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Coaches & Friends, Not Parents, Pressure Sports Kids The number of kids playing team sports is dropping quickly… To understand the factors behind this drop off, Yellowbrick Treatment Program surveyed 1,000 Americans about pressure in youth sports, says Matt Zajechowski, senior content strategist for Yellowbrick. Those surveyed were people who … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How High Expectations Lead to Pressure in Young Athletes A recent NCAA poll of more than 21,000 current college athletes shed some interesting light on how pressured these athletes feel about making it big. The data, from NCAA’s GOALS Study of the Student-Athlete experience, and just reported in USA Today, … Read Sport Psychology Tip