Mary Nhin’s son, Kobe, began competing in tennis a couple of years ago and was winning most of his games… until he hit a cold streak. “He began going into super tiebreakers, a very short determining point system, and he would get very nervous, and he would end up losing,” … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Support Your Sports Kid In my work as a mental game coach, I often focus on the mental training challenges of athlete, coach, or team. However, many mental game experts leave out a very important group — sports parents. Parents are critical to an athlete’s mental game development … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Dealing with Coaches Who Play Favorites Sports parents can easily become upset with coaches who play favorites. When this happens, parents face a dilemma: Should they approach coaches about their athletes’ lack of playing time and risk making matters worse? Your first step is to confirm your beliefs about a … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What to do When Coaches Bully their Students Parents should never under-estimate the importance of coaches in their children’s lives. Coaches can boost or undermine kids’ confidence and self-esteem. If you see any signs that a coach is hurting your young athlete’s confidence, it’s critical to take action. Parents should … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Competition is Inherent to Sports And competition is everywhere — not just in sports. Kids compete on the playground, with siblings, and even in school. Some young athletes thrive on competition and truly enjoy it. Other athletes may fear competition or be afraid to take risks. Competition is all about … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Communicate with Your Child Parents communicate in many ways with their kids through conversation, tone of voice, body language and facial expressions. Sports can be an exciting topic to discuss with your young athletes. It’s important to be as supportive, empathic and positive as possible when you’re discussing … Read Sport Psychology Tip