Pregame Routines in Youth Sports
It’s easy to assume that an all-star guard like Pavin Parrish of the Rochester Rockets doesn’t face mental game challenges.
The truth is, he battles with challenges like jeering, doubt, and worry every day-even though he has made his mark by scoring an average of more than 30 points per game.
If your sports kids think they’re they only ones who struggle with the mental game, be sure to tell them that even top players face these challenges.
The key is to help young athletes identify their challenges and take steps to deal with them.
To help build his confidence, Parrish relies on a pre-game routine. As we’ve said before, most top athletes do. If athletes are focusing on their pre-game routines, they’re not concentrating on their doubts, mistakes and worries.
Part of his pre-game routine involves envisioning how he wants the game to go. It helps athletes focus on preparing for the game.
What’s interesting about Parrish’s pre-game routine:
He also envisions what might go wrong and thinks about how he might react.
Young athletes can learn a lot from Parrish’s example. It’s critical to be flexible and prepared to respond to whatever comes along-and that’s just what Parrish’s pre-game routine helps him do.
Parrish also faces the problem of the crowd jeering at him. Instead of letting this get him down, he uses the jeers to motivate him to work harder.
If you’d like to learn more great tips about how to help young athletes hone their mental games, check out Kids Sports Psychology online mental training program for parents, coaches, and their young athletes.
What’s more, exclusive members of Kids’ Sports Psychology have access to videos, e-books, additional articles, interviews with experts, Q-And-As, and much more! All the resources are designed to help boost adults’ sports parenting and improve kids’ confidence and success in sports.
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- 5 Mental Strategies Of A Pregame Routine
- Kids Who Struggle with Pregame Nerves
- Sports Kids’ Performance and Consistency
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