Kids sports psychology articles for sports parents, young athletes, and team coaches to improve mental game performance and consistency.
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
Homeschooling Youth Athletes Homeschooling, or home education directed by parents, is a growing alternative for many children across the country. The number of homeschooled children will grow between 5 to 12% each year, according to the National Home Education Research Institute. During the 2007-2008 school year, about 2 million children … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Jane H. Scarrow’s Kids’ Sports Psychology Success Story Here’s the letter Jane sent us via email–in her own words: Looking around for ways to help him overcome his fear of competing I came across Dr Patrick Cohn’s Kids Sports Psychology website and was so impressed by the content of the … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Mental focus is especially critical in figure skating, where skaters have just four and a half minutes to perform over a dozen high-risk elements with confidence and accuracy, says Scott Smith, an internationally competitive figure skater and the alternate in the 2006 Olympic games. There are no second chances in … Read Sport Psychology Tip