Using Internal Rewards With Sports Kids Too often today, young athletes are motivated for the wrong reason, says Kirk Mango, a former Division I gymnast who is now a coach and sports parent. He says many athletes seek external rewards, such as trophies, admiration from coaches and parents, poularity, and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Encouraging Kids to Play Sports Just how can sports parents encourage kids to take part in sports and support them—without pressuring them? That’s a good question, and the answers are not so obvious. Read on to get tips from Olympic fencer Tim Morehouse, who says his parents knew just how … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Instilling Confidence in Young Athletes We believe that confidence is the most important asset that leads athletes to sporting excellence. It’s critical for your kids to feel confident—to believe in their abilities—in order to realize their physical potential. Confidence helps them bounce back after mistakes, hang in there when things … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Bringing Practice Confidence to Games in Youth Sports A sports parent tells us her son really shines on the field during practice. “He’s way beyond all the other boys in terms of technical and tactical skills during practice.” However, here’s the “but…” And it’s a big one. During a game, … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Help Prevent Bullying in Youth Sports Bullying is rampant in sports today. Kids are losing starting roles, being forced to play on other teams, and in some cases dropping out of sports altogether because of bullies. Here’s what one parent had to say on our blog: “My athlete has been … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The Bullying Epidemic in Youth Sports Your sports kids could be the targets of intimidation, harassment, exclusion, physical aggression and other forms of bullying—from athletes and/or coaches. And you might not even know it. Why? Often, young athletes’ first reaction to being treated this way is shame, says Mark Hamilton, … Read Sport Psychology Tip