The Benefits of Keeping Score in Youth Sports

Why You Should Keep Score in Youth Sports Teams can keep score, even when kids are young, and the players will still have fun and learn physical and mental game skills. That was the message from former Walt Disney Studios executive Sasha Graham, a sports mom, former youth sports coach and author of “Whitney Wins […] The post The Benefits of Keeping Score in Youth Sports first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Josh Thole’s Take on Coping With Mistakes

Former Mets Catcher on Making Mistakes For baseball players, making mistakes is the biggest challenge, says Josh Thole, former catcher for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. Working with the makers of a new app, Players Way, he’s on a mission to help keep youth baseball players in sports and help them cope […] The post Josh Thole’s Take on Coping With Mistakes first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Why Pickleball is Good for Kids

How Kids Can Improve Mental Toughness by Playing Pickleball Pickleball’s popularity is growing quickly, with many schools offering it for the first time. That’s the word from Mike Nielsen, the AAU’s new pickleball chief, and In Pickleball president Richard Porter. In fact, the two pickleball enthusiasts are working to ensure the sport is available to […] The post Why Pickleball is Good for Kids first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Helping Kids Choose Sports

Letting Kids Decide What Sports They Want to Play What are the Habits of Supportive Sports Parents? To be a supportive sports parent, you first have to ensure your kids are having fun. Second, you should help ensure they are prepared for practices and games, says Sharkie Zartman, a college professor, UCLA and USA national […] The post Helping Kids Choose Sports first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Helping Sports Kids Regain Confidence

Listing Goals You Want to Achieve A study by the Aspen Institute and Utah State University–commissioned by TeamSnap–revealed what parents want most from youth sports and kids’ ability to meet those goals. Team Snap’s survey showed that parents, most of all, want kids to have fun, said Peter Frintzilas,  CEO of TeamSnap, a youth sports […] The post Helping Sports Kids Regain Confidence first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Helping Young Athletes Build Connection and Confidence

Providing Your Young Athletes Control With the start of a new season, it provides a much-needed opportunity to enhance youth sports in a way that provides kids with more fun and human connection, and ultimately, more confidence. That’s the word from Meredith Whitley, PhD, associate professor in Adelphi’s School of Health Sciences and co-editor of […] The post Helping Young Athletes Build Connection and Confidence first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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How to Overcome Choking Under Pressure

Helping Kids Look at Pressure as an Opportunity What causes choking? Why do some young athletes choke while other athletes rise to the occasion? Most young athletes don’t like to hear the word “choking,” let alone admit that they choke. Yet, some athletes believe they “always choke” when the pressure is on. Choking generally results […] The post How to Overcome Choking Under Pressure first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Communicating With Sports Kids During Car Rides

Boost Confidence Through Good Communication For parents, connecting with young athletes is an important bonus of youth sports… Harley Rotbart, pediatrician, sports parent and author of  the bestselling “No Regrets Parenting” says it’s important for parents to take advantage of the opportunities to boost communication with kids while helping them participate in youth sports. The […] The post Communicating With Sports Kids During Car Rides first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Helping Sports Kids Build a Growth Mindset

Think of Mistakes as Learning Opportunities There are numerous advantages to kids’ embracing a growth mindset in youth sports. Kids who have a growth mindset tend to see mistakes as opportunities for growth. They rarely say, “I can’t do this.” They generally don’t feel “stuck” but instead feel as if they’re learning and growing. Kids […] The post Helping Sports Kids Build a Growth Mindset first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Teaching Kids to Love Baseball

Inspiring Young Athletes to Play Baseball James Lowe, aka Coach Ballgame, combines his creative skills with sandlots across the country to build in sports kids a love of baseball. Lowe began creating sandlots–on empty fields where kids could play informally–as an alternative to Little League after players approached him and said that Little League was […] The post Teaching Kids to Love Baseball first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Coaches: Ensure Kids Love their Sport

Positive Mindset for Young Athletes What’s one of the best ways coaches can communicate with young athletes? Give them high fives, and stay silent. That’s the word from Jarrett Robertson, former pro hockey player and author of “Make It a Great Day: How to Feel Awesome So That You Can Help Others.” He recently talked […] The post Coaches: Ensure Kids Love their Sport first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Help Sports Kids Turn Comparisons into Growth & Comradery

Turning Feeling into Goals When Breanne Smedley was a college volleyball player, her roommate earned the role of starter in Smedley’s position. Smedley, who is now a certified female athlete Confidence Coach, at first felt as if her friend shouldn’t have gotten the position. “I started going down these holes of why I should get […] The post Help Sports Kids Turn Comparisons into Growth & Comradery first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Help Young Athletes Avoid Freezing Up During Competitions

Understanding Fight, Flight and Freeze Learning about the nervous system can help parents and young athletes better understand some of the feelings they experience, especially before games and competitions. “Our nervous system’s job is to protect us. Think about it as an early warning system, like an alarm system,” said Pomai Miyata, a sports performance […] The post Help Young Athletes Avoid Freezing Up During Competitions first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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How Friendly Competitions Helps Athletes

Help Athletes Welcome Friendly Competition Young athletes can reap many benefits from embracing friendly competition. Often, kids shy away from competing with their teammates. They feel as if they’re not as talented as their teammates or are afraid of being embarrassed in front of them. For example, a basketball player with a cautious mindset may […] The post How Friendly Competitions Helps Athletes first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Should Parents Only Focus on Fun in Youth Sports?

Training Young Athletes to take their Sports Seriously Does Focusing Too Much on Fun Lead to Sports Kids Dropping Out? Often, parents focus too much on ensuring their kids are having fun in youth sports, which results in kids dropping out if the experience isn’t fun or entertaining, says Jonathan Edwards, Olympian, speaker, coach and […] The post Should Parents Only Focus on Fun in Youth Sports? first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Parent: How to Support your Female Athlete

Helping Girls in Sports Feel Confident Body image worries. Fears of excelling and fears of being chosen to lead. These issues undermine girls’ experiences in sports. Girls and young women not only worry about how they look; they’re concerned that other girls will be angry with them for doing well and being chosen for leadership […] The post Parent: How to Support your Female Athlete first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Helping Kids Build Resiliency in Sports

How to Help Kids Bounce Back After Setbacks Communicating feelings, deep breathing and exercise are three activities that help boost resilience in sports kids, says Dr. Randall Bell, a former youth sports coach and sports parent, a socio-economist and author of “Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience.” Coaches and parents can help […] The post Helping Kids Build Resiliency in Sports first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Sport is the Athletes’ Journey, Not Parents

Sports Experience Belongs to Young Athletes The main message from Amy Oliphant, a former Division 1 player, mom to four young athletes and youth coach: Sports should be the kids’ journey. The founder of Transcend Mental Training told us during an Ultimate Sports Parent podcast interview that she never pushes her kids to excel or […] The post Sport is the Athletes’ Journey, Not Parents first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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Build Confidence and Paths to Success

COACH   A child typically views his or her sports experience through the lens of personal success. Each child’s sense of athletic worth is based on his or her performance relative to others and, in team sports, the perceived contributions made to his or her team. Most kids naturally discover their talent as they mature. They gradually learn how to apply their abilities in a way that leads to both individual and team success. But problems can arise both in the way a child internally defines success and his or her understanding of how to achieve it. Some young athletes erroneously view success in more selfish terms—am I dribbling the ball, scoring a goal, or am I otherwise the center of attention? They fail to connect the individual act to the overall goal. Still others struggle to find any path to success. They feel they can’t keep up and have no idea how to contribute. Parents can also contribute to the problem when they push their child into situations for which they are not yet prepared to succeed. Parents may expect their child to play primary team roles and receive equal playing time—regardless of the situation. They fail to understand that there are times when equal playing time in a game does not provide the best developmental experience for a young child. So, how does a coach help a struggling young player find his or her path to success? Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun ($16.95; Kindle: $7.99) If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child ($8.95; Kindle: $2.99) --- Originally posted at www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com
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Help Athletes Trust the Training

If you trust the training, the training will kick in, says Mark Jeffery, a former army officer and Army Tennis Champion in the U.K. He uses strategies he learned in the army to teach athletes how to trust in all that they’ve learned in training. Athletes, like people in the military, can be plagued with […] The post Help Athletes Trust the Training first appeared on Youth Sports Psychology.
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