Mental Training is The Key to Success
Parents and coaches, if you want your sports kids to understand that mental training can be the key to unlocking their potential, first you have to know why kids avoid it…
It’s important for you to know that a whopping 53% of the coaches we surveyed said their sports kids resist mental training.
The truth is, improving their mental game skills can boost kids’ confidence in ways that improve their happiness and performance—in and out of sports.
For example, mentally tough and confident athletes don’t balk after making mistakes. They hang in there and focus on the next play, pitch, race or routine.
But here’s the problem:
Sports kids believe a number of myths—silly myths, really—about the value of mental training.
Here are just a few:
Kids think they are already mentally tough.
But even kids who are mentally tough can find ways to improve their game. For example, do they excel in practice, but freeze up during games? Do they worry about what others think of them?
With mental training, players, parents and coaches can identify common confidence busters, see if their sports kids suffer from them, and take steps to address them.
But if kids won’t participate, they won’t learn about the many mental game issues that affect young athletes. Encourage them to just give mental training a try!
Kids says that their coaches don’t value mental training—so either should they.
Not every coach focuses on mental training. Some have strengths in other areas. Or some provide mental training intuitively, but don’t call it this name.
They might say, “I know you tend to freeze up when your parents walk into practice. You need to focus on what you’re doing, instead of what’s going on off the court.”
If they say this, they’re giving a mental game tip.
If your kids’ coach either doesn’t embrace sports psychology or uses his or her own language to impart some of these messages, you might refer the coach to Kids’ Sports Psychology.
You could say something like, “Hey, there’s this website out there that teaches kids, coaches and parents how to help kids get their head in the game so that they perform better. You should check it out.”
, and relaxed. The final race was one that he was ranked last and one of his goals was to try for top 16…he was 49th! He cut over 4 seconds off his time ending up in 17th. He was ecstatic to say the least.”
Related Articles on Kids’ Mental Game:
- How to Explain Mental Training to Teens
- Helping Young Athletes Embrace Mental Training
- Mental Training for Young Athletes
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Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World
We’re certain that, as a parent, you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life. And as a sports parent, you’d love for your children to reach their potential in sports. But encouraging your child to strive for greatness without pressuring them can be a challenge.
You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today’s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.
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