Youth Sports Psychology Articles

Boosting Sports Kids’ Confidence with Repetition and Practice

Youth Sports Psychology

Repetition in Youth Sports To Build Confidence Parents, do you know practice and repetition can boost young athletes’ confidence? That’s the word from Dr. Vernon Williams, neurologist and medical director of the Kerlan-Jobe Center for Sports Neurology in Los Angeles. “High quality repetition will help your brain learn patterns,” he … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Helping Young Athletes Who Criticize Themselves

Helping Sports Kids with “What if” Thinking

Helping Perfectionist Sports Kids Do you have sports kids who criticize themselves for making mistakes? Do they hang onto a mistake for too long, talking about them or reminding themselves about how much they goofed up? If so, it’s likely you have a perfectionist on your hands… Many people think … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Help Sports Kids Feel Safe and Boost Their Confidence

Youth Sports Psychology

Sports Kids Who Worry About Injuries It’s no surprise that kids worry about getting injured in youth sports. But did you know that such worries undermine kids’ confidence, performance and enjoyment of sports? We recently chatted with Marcie Fyock, an instructor for George Mason University’s athletic training education program about … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Don’t Let Spring Distractions Hurt Sports Kids’ Focus

Young Athelte Mental Toughness

Parents And Coaches: Help Athletes Avoid Distractions Parents and coaches, young athletes can become easily distracted especially during the spring season! First of all, there’s the weather. It’s so easy to get distracted when the weather is warmer and sunnier. Second, there’s all the excitement about the end of school … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Building Confidence in Kids Who Try New Sports

Youth Sports Psychology

Confidence When Trying New Youth Sports Lisa here from Kids’ Sports Psychology and the Ultimate Sports Parent… As a mom who played three sports, I’m very eager for my youngest, 5-year-old Michael, to play sports. But I signed him up for a soccer team and was quickly disappointed. He liked … Read Sport Psychology Tip

How Unruly Crowds and Parents Hurt Kids’ Confidence

Youth Sports Psychology

How Can Sports Parents Distract Kids? Unruly parents and crowds can really hurt kids’ confidence, says Gil Fried, professor and head of the sport management department at the University of New Haven and an expert on crowd control. Why? Just think about it. When athletes are trying to perform, what … Read Sport Psychology Tip