Youth Sports Psychology Articles

Helping Sports Kids Boost Mental Stamina with Awareness

Youth Sports Psychology

Mental Stamina in Youth Sports Let’s say your young athlete is a golfer, baseball player or basketball player who needs to focus intensely before making a putt, throwing a pitch, hitting a ball or shooting a free-throw. The player generally has a strategy and an intention; the goal is to … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Why Having Fun Helps Sports Kids Perform Well

Youth Sports Psychology

Why Having Fun in Sports is so Important High school athlete Jacob understands why having fun is hands-down the most important thing kids can do when all seems lost. In a recent interview, he told us that when his team is down, or if he makes mistakes, his confidence starts … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Why Setting Goals is So Important for Sports Kids

Youth Sports Psychology

Setting Goals in Youth Sports It’s a great idea to set goals for sports kids. Goal-setting helps improve kids’ motivation and commitment, helps them stay focused on what to accomplish, helps them assess their strengths and weaknesses, and track their performance. But who should do it–the parent, the young athlete, … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Why Mental Game Skills Help Kids in Academics and Life

Youth Sports Psychology

The Benefits of Participation in Sports For Kids Popular coach Billy Zufall is serious about ensuring sports participation teaches kids critical skills that they can transfer to other areas of their lives. In fact, that’s one of his main goals as director of coaching for the boys’ and girls’ soccer … Read Sport Psychology Tip

Why Sports Parents Need Perspective

Youth Sports Psychology

Tips to Ensure Your Kids Excel in Sports We all want our kids to excel in sports. But exactly what does it mean to excel — and how can parents best help young athletes? It’s all about perspective. Read on to learn great tips for ensuring your kids excel in … Read Sport Psychology Tip

What to do When Sports Kids Don’t Believe in Themselves

How Young Athletes Can Win Close Games

Reasons Why Sports Kids Don’t Believe in Themselves For a number of reasons, many sports kids don’t believe in themselves—and that’s bad news for them, their teams and their coaches. Here are just a few causes: When kids don’t believe in themselves, they hurt their performance and enjoyment of sports. … Read Sport Psychology Tip