Staying in the Moment in Youth Sports
Kayla Wood, an all-star high school pitcher in Brattleboro, Vt., understands the importance of staying in the moment while pitching.
“No matter what is going on out there I try to take it one game, one inning and one pitch at a time.”
Wood has the right idea, from a mental game point of view. Athletes who know how to focus on what’s happening right now-rather than on past mistakes or what the score will be-are more confident and perform better.
In fact, this attitude has paid off. With Wood leading, her squad has racked up back-to-back state championships.
To help Wood focus and stay in the moment, she relies on a pre-game routine.
“My warm-up routine varies, but it is always focused on keeping my arm warm,” says Wood. “Keeping active before I step onto the mound is key for me to be prepared.”
Pre-game routines are a great way for young athletes to warm up and focus on what they need to do to boost their confidence. If they’re focusing on their routines, they can’t think about the future or past mistakes!
Another strategy is for young athletes to establish mini-goals. These are small, achievable but important goals to focus on while they’re playing. For example, “I want to be a good team player,” or “I want to block three shots today.” If kids can concentrate on these goals instead of their past mistakes or future wins, they’ll stay in the moment.
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- How Parents Can Help Young Athletes Improve Focus
- 4 Steps to Helping Young Athletes Improve Focus
- Help Kids Improve Their Focus Before Competition
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Help Your Young Athletes Improve Focus In Sports!
Are your young athletes easily distracted by people shouting on the sidelines? Do they obsess over their mistakes? Do they worry about what people think of them?
These issues will cause their concentration and performance to suffer!The Focused Sports Kid helps kids overcome distractions that can hurt their performance in sports.
The Focused Sports Kid program is actually two programs: one for sports parents/coaches that provides mental game tips especially designed for parents and coaches, and for young athletes, ages 8 to 12, that will walk them through 7 simple lessons in mental focus in sports.