Sports Kids Who Doubt Their Ability
Sports parents, do you ever hear phrases like this uttered by your sports kids?
- “I’m not sure I can kick the ball like that.”
- “I’m too small to make that shot.”
- “I haven’t practiced enough to play in the game.”
These phrases show that your young athletes doubt their abilities. Kids with doubts—and everyone has them, of course—need to understand that doubt is the Number One confidence killer.
Kids with certain personalities tend to doubt themselves more. They are athletes who are pessimistic, perfectionists, or expect a lot from their performance.
These athletes doubt their ability even before they start a competition or make a mistake.
Here’s what you can do to help kids when they doubt themselves:
First of all, help them identify their doubts. Do they doubt their ability to beat the competition? Do they doubt their ability to play well in competition? These are just a few examples.
Once kids identify their doubts, they should “reframe” them with rebuttal statements.
For example, “Can I skate well on the soft ice today?” Help your young athlete replace this thought with, “I’ve skated well before on this surface and I trust in my abilities.”
Also, be sure to help your young athletes focus on small goals. These goals should be all about the process of playing or performing—not about the score or win.
And they should be about what they want to do, not what they want to avoid doing.
Keep in mind that your sports kids won’t be able to change their mindsets overnight. They need to practice their mental game skills-just like they practice their physical skills.
Related Articles on Kids’ Mental Game:
- Helping Athletes Who Question Their Training
- When Young Athletes Doubt Their Skills When Criticized
- Athletes Who Doubt Their Abilities Before Games
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