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
Helping Girls in Sports Feel Confident Body image worries. Fears of excelling and fears of being chosen to lead. These issues undermine girls’ experiences in sports. Girls and young women not only worry about how they look; they’re concerned that other girls will be angry with them for doing well … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Sports Experience Belongs to Young Athletes The main message from Amy Oliphant, a former Division 1 player, mom to four young athletes and youth coach: Sports should be the kids’ journey. The founder of Transcend Mental Training told us during an Ultimate Sports Parent podcast interview that she never pushes … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How To Trust In Your Training If you trust the training, the training will kick in, says Mark Jeffery, a former army officer and Army Tennis Champion in the U.K. He uses strategies he learned in the army to teach athletes how to trust in all that they’ve learned in … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Mental Toughness vs. Mental Health During the 2020 Olympics, Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in the world, pulled out of some Olympic events after experiencing the “twisties.” She said her head was not in the right place… However, she returned to the Olympics, winning a Bronze medal on the … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Growth Mindset for Young Athletes Rather than focusing on instilling fear to motivate athletes, parents need to create a safe training environment for them, says Pomai Miyata, MGCP, and sports performance consultant and founder of ICE Mental Game. Fear-based training was common with old-school coaches and is often depicted in … Read Sport Psychology Tip