Building Confidence in Young Athletes

The skill of being a leader is partly innate, but is mostly trainable, according to leadership coach Jonathan Cave, author of The Tree and the Mountain: Dare to Become. To hone their leadership skills, sports kids should identify their unique talents and build leadership skills based on them, he said. "You don't have to become another person to be a leader. It's about amplifying who you are and be...

Many recruiting services, profile websites and showcase camps profit by keeping families engaged and spending money rather than helping athletes achieve meaningful recruiting outcomes, said Reid Meyer, co-founder of A2A Academy and a former college baseball player. To be successfully recruited, athletes need to be proactive, directly contacting coaches and focusing on finding colleges that fit the...

To create a championship mindset, players, coaches and parents must all embrace a positive mindset, said Bill Hoopes, a national championship coach and director of Florida Premier Girls Fastpitch. "You have to have accountability on all ends," he said. "If the coach is not doing their job and they're struggling to relay positive information, positive skill development and positive coaching, then t...

Happiness for sports kids is more about contentment and balance, rather than constant pleasure, according to Jerry Weichman, a licensed clinical psychologist who helps young athletes with mental health challenges affecting confidence, motivation and performance. ""Happiness is more of a chemical reaction from your brain that comes from good things that are happening. But good things don't continua...

Too often, sports kids see their identity as being athletes, said Tiffany Yvonne, founder of Playmaker Solutions, where she helps young athletes build emotional intelligence and confidence. When their identity is all about sports, they can quickly lose confidence if they make mistakes or lose games.

Confidence in young athletes is a trainable outcome rooted in self-awareness, disciplined consistency, targeted subconscious programming (visualization with emotion) and supportive adult influences. Sports kids should combine clear goals, intentional mental practice and persistent physical work to become resilient and high-performing, said Chris Harris, a mindset and elite performance expert.   Le...

When sports kids experience concussions, they don't just affect kids' brains, they affect their bodies and even their families, said Robert Baric, a chiropractor and member of the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina. A concussion can change kids' heart output, sleep and hormonal balance, for example. And it can affect the family, or, as Baric says, create a "traumatic family injury."Parents...

How can sports parents create well-rounded kids in youth sports, which can be hyper-specialized and intense? David Murray's book, Soccer Dad,  is the story of a "soccer-ignorant, sports-ambivalent writer who saw his daughter from the kiddie leagues through the travel-sports gauntlet to a coveted Division I scholarship. And then realized his work had only begun," says his  book's Amazon description...

True leaders in sports don't need the spotlight. They earn trust through preparation, emotional control and how they show up every day—not by being the loudest voice, said Dan Gold, a sports dad, former surgeon and businessman and the author of Game Changers. The foundation of quiet leadership is emotional regulation. When pressure rises, strong leaders stay steady rather than escalating emotional...

High performance in sports doesn't necessarily translate into mental well-being, said Hania Taduran, a former Division I beach volleyball player and founder of the nonprofit Breaking Barriers, which aims to redefine the narrative about mental health in athletics. During her college career at the University of the Pacific, especially during COVID isolation, she and her teammates experienced mental...

How are young athletes affected when their parents sink large amounts of money into youth sports and pile on expectations? Harvey Araton was a sports columnist for The New York Times for 26 years, where he covered ten Olympics and countless NBA finals, World Series, Super Bowls and Final Fours. A sports parent, he's the author of The Goal of the Game , which was released in December.   Araton warn...

Former professional golfer Jay Delsing, author of "You Wouldn't Believe Me If I Told You," describes how he pursued his sports dream and says young athletes should also aim high, even if the odds of success are low. Growing up in a large, low-income, sports-oriented family, he was encouraged to believe he could achieve anything with hard work, he said. Although baseball was his first love, golf be...

Young athletes who forget skills, freeze up or make avoidable mistakes and who can't meet their practice performance during competitions are struggling with performance blocks. These blocks can be caused by excessive pressure, anxiety, worry, perfectionism or identity issues and self-judgement, said Albert Bramante, a psychology professor and author of "Rise Above the Script." To help kids overcom...

Andy Whittier knows how to cope with pressure. He transitioned from playing college football to representing the U.S. in the skeleton sport, a solo, head-first sled race down an icy track at speeds of up to 89 mph.  At first, it was terrifying, he said. But with constant practice, he started making some "good, fast clean runs" and building confidence. Athletes can build confidence gradually throug...

P.J. Glassey, personal trainer, "biohacker" at XGym.com , and author of Cracking Your Calorie Code , has identified 16 brain types that help determine how best to motivate athletes and boost their performance. Developed over a 5-year period, his 20-question brain type test–which combines psychology and fitness– helps people get fit with less reliance on willpower. Once Glassey identifies an athlet...

When sports kids face challenges such as injuries or mistakes, they're more likely to overcome them by being "all in"--committed to working hard and improving in their sport. Chad Dunn, CEO of Move Performance Center and former BMX racer, asks kids facing adversity, "Do you really want to do this?" The right answer, he says, is "Coach, I'm all in." A big challenge for sports kids is comparing them...

Parents are very emotional about their kids' youth sports experience, and they're pouring a lot of money into youth sports. Because of these factors, they may feel that coaches favor other players when their kids aren't getting the playing time they want, said Jen Fry , a TEDx speaker, owner of JenFryTalks and sports geographer, which means means she studies how geographical factors, like terrain,...

Teen athletes experience anxiety when they can't be in the moment, said Kate Kelley-Schneider, a psychotherapist and sports mindset coach at Pure Health Center and Pure Sports Mindset. They are either stuck replaying a mistake over and over or looking to the future and worrying about the score.  "They'll check out of the game from a mental perspective. That then shows up physically," she said.   C...

What if young athletes could practice visualization and then receive feedback in real time that improves their performance? Konstantin Sonkin, a neuroscientist and founder of i-Brain Tech, uses neuroscience-based technology to help athletes boost focus and decision-making. Learn more about Dr. Sonkin at i-Brain. Tech Submit podcast ideas here . Subscribe and rate this podcast on Apple Podcasts Vis...

Elite athletes from across the world competed in the 17th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships, and 14-year-old Ysabella won 8 medals in the junior division. Her dad, Rex Cajanding, who was involved in her training, gives tips to sports parents about how to help kids attain success--without burning them out. Submit podcast episode ideas: Contact us Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcast...

It's a myth that participating in youth sports will build character in youing athletes, say Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski, authors of "Away Game: A Christian Parent's Guide to Navigating Youth Sports." The problem: There are too many variables in youth sports to conclude that participating will build character. Referees are inconsistent. Coaches don't all have the same values. To build character, ad...

Forty-two percent of children report being bullied by coaches or physical education teachers. Common bullying programs don't work, said Tom Dahlborg, president and CEO of Dahlborg HealthCaring Leadership Group. Bullying can make kids depressed, anxious and even suicidal.  Dahlborg is working to implement better anti-bullying programs, including creating a team culture that doesn't tolerate this be...

When athletes' identities are wrapped up in sports, they can experience pressure and high expectations. What's more, they might become disappointed if they go to college and are no longer the stars they were on their high school teams, said Zedralyn Butler, author of The Mental State of Sports and a former Division 1 basketball player.  They can also be disappointed or depressed if they are injure...

Sports kids should push past challenges by focusing on incremental steps rather than the bigger end goal, said Dianette Wells, a world-class mountaineer, ultra-endurance athlete and author. For example, to prepare for a hike in Malibu, Calif., she focused on improving her time by a minute each time she hiked.  "I just did it in incremental amounts so my mind could accept that and my body could dea...

Young athletes realize a number of benefits when they embrace growth mindsets, said Iuri Melo, a youth sports coach, licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of SchoolPulise, which texts youth positive psychology statements to support their mental health. These kids tend to be optimists who try harder, for longer periods of time and when things get difficult, he said. Players with fixed mind...