Youth Sports Psychology Articles

How Young Athletes Build Ultimate Self-Confidence

Ultimate Self Confidence

Athletes who Lose Confidence with Constructive Criticism “I’m a female soccer player. I’m often challenged mentally when playing and this usually happens at training sessions, my teammate would tell me how I can’t do a certain thing eg. Properly marking my opponent.” “I end up questioning my ability to do … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Using Sports Psychology to Overcome a Cold Streak

How Sports Kids’ Mental Game Affects College Recruitment

“How to Win Wimbledon in Pajamas” Mary Nhin’s son, Kobe, began competing in tennis a couple of years ago and was winning most of his games… until he hit a cold streak. “He began going into super tiebreakers, a very short determining point system, and he would get very nervous, … Read Sport Psychology Tip

How One Coach Helped a Perfectionist Athlete

Ultimate Sports Parent Podcast

Breaking the Perfectionist Pattern Richard Burke, who has been coaching baseball, football and basketball for the last 12 years, recently told us how he used our Ultimate Sports Parent program to help a perfectionist pitcher.  “I had a 10-year-old pitcher playing on an 11-year-old travel team. He was doing really … Read Sport Psychology Tip

How Young Athletes Find Flow in Sports

Finding Flow in Sports

 Flow and Peak Performance in Sports For young athletes, finding flow is critical for their enjoyment and peak performance in sports… When kids experience being “in the zone,” they are focused, confident, and fearless. Athletes in a flow state perform on “autopilot,” feeling as though performance is almost effortless. In … Read Sport Psychology Tip

How to Avoid Comparison Trap for Sports Parents

Sports Parent: Avoid and Stop Comparing Your Athletes

Comparisons Hurt Athletes’ Confidence When we surveyed parents, we found that 23% said that kids judge how their teammates are performing instead of focusing on their own play. Focusing on others’ play will distract your young athletes from their own game, and can become a major confidence killer. In the … Read Sport Psychology Tip