Pre-Game Stress In Youth Sports Are your sports kids stressed before games? Do you know the signs and causes of stress in young athletes? Stress can really undermine kids’ confidence and success. And that hurts their performance and happiness. We talked to Debbie Mendel, a stress management expert and author … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Making Comparisons in Youth Sports We are seeing a disturbing trend today in young athletes – one that coaches and parents need to understand and address. Sports kids today spend too much time making comparisons to their competitors or teammates! They focus on how others are performing, rather than concentrating … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parental Pressure on Sports Kids Sports parents, did it ever occur to you that spending too much time watching your kids practice their sport makes it hard for them to take risks and grow as athletes? Huh? You might ask. What’s the link between watching them practice and ensuring they … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Facing Adversity in Youth Sports Do your sports kids have a hard time bouncing back after mistakes? Does their confidence decline after losing a game? Based on what other parents are telling us, the answer is a resounding “yes”! For example, here’s what one sports parent says: “My son is … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Perfectionism in Youth Sports We recently checked in with Jane, a tennis pro, and her son, Jeff, a Division I tennis player. Jane had a lot to say about the value of focusing on the “mental game.” Why should you be interested in Jane’s story? Because it’s a classic example … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Composure in Youth Sports Does your young athlete have trouble coping with mistakes? Do your athletes check out during games because they can’t let go of mistakes? In fact, 35% of sports parents we surveyed said that their young athletes struggle with letting go of mistakes. In other words, if … Read Sport Psychology Tip