Building Confidence in Young Athletes

Carter Hogg, a 20-year-old college football player and inventor of a neck guard to help athletes avoid injuries, discusses the fear of getting injured and the challenges of coming back after an injury. Send ideas for podcast interviews: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ultimate-sports-parent/ Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-c...

Sports kids face a number of challenges when their identity is wrapped up in sports, said Dr. Becca Wallace, a clinical pediatric psychologist at Children's Hospital in New Orleans. When they get overly involved in sports, their identity becomes closely tied to being athletes. If they're injured or have to stop playing sports, it can be devastating for young athletes whose identity is too tied to...

There's so much goodness that can come from participating in youth sports, but ensuring kids experience that goodness requires teams to establish team cultures based on clear expectations of players, parents and coaches. Team agreements and ethical coaching can help create the opportunity for sports kids to benefit from all that sports offers. That's the word from Katie Steele and Dr. Tiffany Brow...

Kids get emotional in street hockey. They might throw their hockey sticks because they missed a shot, for example. Coaches with the Charlotte Street Hockey League deal with such behavior by inviting kids to express their feelings, and then trying to help them find more appropriate ways to communicate. The coaches also focus on teamwork and equal playing time, all the while searching for teachable...

The L.E.A.D. Center for Youth in Atlanta focuses on helping Black kids and teens learn skills that help them excel in life--and the program is working. About 60% of Black students in Atlanta public schools graduate, said Kelli Stewart, co-founder of the program. Those who participate in the L.E.A.D. program have a 100% graduation rate. Send podcast ideas: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/yout...

Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Field Champion DeAndre Dukes recently led his players--from underserved communities in L.A.--to a baseball championship game by focusing on mental game skills, emotional intelligence and connection. Coach Dukes' team played in the "World Series," and made it as far as the championship game, which took place in Florida at the Jackie Robinson Training Center. Dukes con...

When kids' sports culture is toxic--when coaches yell at and embarrass kids, for example, it can hurt kids' mental health and self esteem. Hillary Cauthen, a sports psychologist and author of "Hello Trauma: Our Invisible Teammate" gives tips for helping kids cope with toxicity in youth sports. Kids can do deep breathing or take time for mindfulness exercises, she says. Send podcast ideas: https://...

Kaig Lightner founded Portland Community Football Club 10 years ago, providing coach mentors, free uniforms and no-cost or low-cost opportunities for immigrants and others living in low-income communities. The program focuses on creating a culture of connection, encouragement and trust. Player growth is more important than winning games. Now the program has 235 players, 15 coaches and three staff...

With hula hoops, teddy bears and competitions, Rally Day Camps aims to ensure youth sports is fun for all ages. Kevin Hoover, CEO of Rally Day Camps and a former baseball player at Fordham University, explains why having fun is critical to young athletes and discusses how sports fun translates into other areas of kids' lives. He also describes how the camps reward kids who demonstrate strong menta...

Archery can provide many benefits to kids, including confidence, focus and a feeling of success. Kids realize these benefits quickly because they often feel successful early into their training, said Tommy Floyd, president of the National Archery in the Schools Program. Floyd is a former school principal who says archery is an especially important way to engage kids who otherwise don't engage in s...

Kids' mental game is critical to youth sports--and improving mental health can boost kids' mental game and performance. That's the word from Laura Erickson-Schroth, chief medical officer at The Jed Foundation (JED), which works in school sport programs and sports organizations to improve kids' mental health. Send us podcast episode ideas: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psycholo...

Kids and teens say they lack connections with adults in their schools, says Paul Caccamo, CEO and founder, Up2Us Sports, a coach training program. Youth coaches can fill in the gap and build resilience, improved focus and self-esteem in young athletes, he says. To meet that goal, Up2Us partners with schools and community groups, and works on the ground to entice kids to join teams. Send us podcast...

When kids skip breakfast, they have trouble focusing and underperform in sports, said Steph Magill, a registered dietitian and mother to two teen athletes. Too often, young athletes don't eat enough because they have such busy schedules. She gives suggestions for when and what to eat before games, and gives specific suggestions for meals and snacks.  Subscribe to this podcast on Apple: Ultimate Sp...

When sports kids see other young athletes perform well in social media, they make comparisons, which can sink their confidence. Often, a 10-second clip on a social media site involves many takes, and can be misleading. But sports kids often don't realize this and feel like they don't measure up, says John Willkom, a former Division 1 basketball player and author of Walk-On Warrior and No Fear in t...

When athletes feel pressure, they naturally tend to panic, said Conor Hogan, author of The Gym Upstairs: The Neuroscience of Future Champions. If they understand some of the neuroscience of sports, they can calm themselves with techniques like visualization and meditation, he said. Send us ideas for podcast guests: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ultimate-sports-parent/ Subscribe to...

In high school, girls in sports drop out at higher rates than boys. Kathryn Ackerman, a physician and dirctor of the Female Athlete Program in the sports medicine division of Boston's Children's Hospital says that girls in sports deal with numerous societal pressures. They feel like they should look feminine, should avoid acting "bossy" and should have certain body types--among other issues. Girls...

Sports kids coping with performance anxiety, low confidence and other mental game challenges can benefit from hypnotherapy, said Lark Ericson, a certified hypnotherapist and life coach. During her sessions, she walks kids through possible games or competitions, raises their stress level, then helps them reduce stress on their own.   Her techniques are a much deeper dive than visualization, she sai...

Empathy is a powerful confidence builder on youth sports teams, says Dr. Conor Hogan, author of The Gym Upstairs: The Neuroscience of Future Champions.  Empathy from coaches and teammates can help young athletes cope with pressure, he said. The athletes know that the team members will always support them. When young athletes feel empathy from team members, they are less likely to get hung up in ne...

Performance anxiety, mistakes and low confidence are some of the mental game struggles girls grapple with on Leah Jantzen's high school volleyball team. Jantzen, an Ironman and marathon runner and a mental health and performance coach for Ward Melville High School, says that setting intentions is one way to address these challenges. In addition, she suggests that sports kids set short- and long-te...

Karate is all about the mental game, says Master Rande Lawrence, head instructor at Lawrence World Class Karate in Fayatteville, N.Y. He helps Matthew Killian--a blind 23-year-old who has autism spectrum disorder--use his strong mental game in karate.  Killian won two gold medals at his first competition, April 30. Lawrence explains how he achieved this feat. Submit guest ideas for this podcast: h...

Athletes need to park their egos at the door and embrace teamwork, says Syd Abernathy, a two-time All-American former Navy lacrosse player who was recently inducted into the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He explains why it's important to be a "serving leader" who has an open mindset. Send podcast ideas to https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ultimate-sports-parent/...

What's the downside of elite and travel teams for young athletes? These teams require parents to pay, and that creates a dicey relationship among parents, kids and coaches, says Hal Phillips, a former sports parent and youth sports coach, plus author of "Generation Zero: Founding Fathers, Hidden Histories and the Making of Soccer in America."  On pay to play teams, kids often don't know where they...

Sports parents need to show their young athletes that they care about more than the win. That's the word from Wayne LaMarre, clinical professor and director of the athletic training program at the University of New England. He's also on staff for the Women's National Ice Hockey team. Often, the elite hockey players worry that they'll be replaced by someone waiting in the wings if they make mistake...

Sun Sachs can speak from experience about burnout in sports. The CEO and founder of Rewire Fitness--which helps athletes develop mental fitness--began bike racing as a young kid, and worked his way up to an elite level. At the age of 26, he quit, and couldn't look at a bike for more than eight years. Now he helps other athletes focus on mental fitness. The Rewire Fitness platform is based on neuro...

For college recruiters, players' mental game is important. Recruiters learn about kids' mental game skills--or deficiencies--by talking to high school coaches, watching game videos and watching both parents and players at games. Keirsten Sires, CEO and founder of 2aDays--which provides college coach ratings and experiences from athletes--gives tips about how young athletes can demonstrate that the...