Expectations in Young Athletes Mary, a sports mom, says she’s at a loss about how to help her talented 16-year-old baseball player overcome his perfectionism and start playing well again. “He has always been a very strong baseball player. He is a pitcher who hitters don’t like to face and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Positive Self-Talk in Youth Sports Even top athletes tell themselves, “I need to talk to myself more positively. I need to take a hard look at the way I talk to myself about sports.” In youth sports, kids need to do this, too, says Dan Schaeffer, Ph.D., who works with … Read Sport Psychology Tip
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 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
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
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