Help Sports Kids Overcome Intimidation
In “Sessions with Doc,” Dr. Patrick Cohn answers your sports psychology and mental training questions about how to overcome being intimidated by competitors.
Visit Peaksports.com and click on contact us to submit your question for Dr. Cohn to answer in his mental game videocast or podcast.
Here’s the question Dr. Cohn answers this week about overcoming intimidation to perform well in competition:
TERESA ASKS: “My son (who races motocross) just turned 11 and rides to his ability in practice and local races. But he folds at the national level and doesn’t ride anywhere near his ability that he shows at the local level. He gives up on the start, lets everyone go, and then starts to race. How can I find a way to get him to race and not worry about who he is racing?”
Watch the video below to hear what Dr. Cohn has to say to Teresa about her son’s mental game.
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Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- Why Young Athletes Shouldn’t Compare Their Skills To Others
- Your Sports Kids Could Be Targets
- Sports Parents: You Can Help Your Athletes if They Are Bullied
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The Composed Sports Kid
“The Composed Sports Kid” audio and workbook digital download program for young athletes and their parents or coach helps kids cope with frustration and anger in sports. Help your sports kids learn how to manage expectations and let go of mistakes so they can keep their head in the game.
The Composed Sports Kid system is really two programs in one–one program to train parents and coaches how to help their kids practice composure, and one program that teaches young athletes–ages 6 to 13–how to improve composure, let go of mistakes quickly, have more self-acceptance, and thus enjoy sports more!
I believe inner self confidence comes naturally for some and others it can be learned to an extent. To teach them not to be so “cocky” that they come across as arrogant and untouchable but to still have a humbleness about them. Such as a kid that is so arrogant when he goes out on the court, field or track he thinks he is way above anyone else and if someone is hurt out there he/she just walks by. That is not self-confidence that is someone who is way over where they should be. Yes the attitude can get them far when they are not siked out by a competitor but it doesn’t help them like the win or fall in love with competition.