Kids sports psychology articles for young athletes, sports parents, and team coaches to improve performance.
Adolescent runners are still growing and developing, and it’s critical to support their growth with nutrition that promotes bone health, muscle development, brain health and cognitive development, said Michele Pettinger. a certified fitness and nutrition specialist and the author of The Young Runner’s Guide to Nutrition. Pettinger discusses how parents can … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What’s the Recipe for Achieving Peak Performance? What helps your sports kids perform their best during competitions? Most athletes are dumbfounded when asked this question. They may come up with a few responses on the fly, such as working hard in practice, improving their mechanics or practicing more. However, those … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Gifted kids often focus exclusively on sports and fail to make friends or participate in other activities, said Susan Williams, a clinical hypnotherapist at SportHypnotherapy.com. Parents and coaches need to encourage them to try other activities and to develop a circle of supportive friends, she said. She uses hypnotherapy to put … Read Sport Psychology Tip
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 from kids who … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Posting notes at home, trying hypnosis and passing a ball from the left hand to the right are three ways sports kids can combat negative thinking. These techniques are designed to help kids’ minds switch from negativity to positivity, said Ignacio Segovia, a psychologist, certified hypnotherapist and mental performance coach who … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Sports kids need to learn how to respond–not react–to setbacks, said Dayton Hansen, chief operating officer at ICL Academy, an online school that aims to help students pursue passions such as sports. Rather than reacting with emotion, they need to take a step back and use deep breathing and visualization to … Read Sport Psychology Tip