Coaches: Building Trust in Kids Building trust in kids is critical for coaches. If coaches establish a close, trusting relationship with their players, the players are more likely to feel confident, supported, and open—all keys to learning and transferring sports skills to life. In an inspiring interview with Thom Schauerman, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Kids Move on After Mistakes Too often, kids get hung up on the mistakes they make in sports. That means as soon as they goof up, they have trouble getting the mistake out of their minds. They dwell on the mistake—instead of moving past it. They scold themselves for … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Taking Kids’ Sports Skills to Life We all talk about the importance of transferring the skills kids learn in sports to other areas of their lives. But how exactly can we expedite that process? Megan Bartlett, chief program officer for Up2Us—who oversees the training of coaches in sports-based youth development—gave … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Playing Time in Youth Sports A common complaint from sports parents: The coach doesn’t give my child enough playing time, and it hurts her confidence. When a coach doesn’t give a child a lot of playing time, it can really hurt her view of her abilities and skills. And that, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Stressors in Youth Sports Let’s face it, kids these days are under a lot of stress, and that includes young athletes. With information overload from their iPhones and iPads, the stresses of everyday life, and pressure to excel in sports, kids need to learn how to take a break and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The Benefits of a Mental Game What’s more important in youth sports? A strong mental game or physical talent? Linda Crum, executive director of Positive Coaching Alliance Colorado, says the mental game is more important—and gets more important as kids start playing at elite levels. At the younger stages, she … Read Sport Psychology Tip