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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