Building Confidence in Young Athletes

Lauren Cox was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a young age, and she worried that her health condition would crush her dreams of becoming a high-level athlete. But she didn't let diabetes undermine her dreams. She developed mental game skills that helped her thrive in basketball.  Her mental game tips can help most young athletes address challenges associated with adversity. Be sure to send us po...

Plus-size kids face a number of challenges in youth sports, including feeling uncomfortable in ill-fitting clothes, being the targets of bullies and feeling ignored. Pam Luk, a former plus-size young athlete who has launched a clothing line for these athletes, gives parents and coaches tips for ensuring the kids' have a positive experience. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts ht...

When sports kids experience overuse injuries, it often hurts their mental game, often leading to burnout. Robert Weil, a sports podiatrist and host of the Sports Doctor Radio Show, says it's important for parents and coaches to understand the issues that lead to overuse injuries and burnout. Pressure to continue playing after an injury is one problem, he says. Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Po...

It's easy to assume that young athletes are most interested in winning games and competitions. But that's not what the research says, according to Bill Eckstrom, CEO of Ecsell Sports and author of The Coaching Effect. I n focus groups, athletic directors and coaches say that a positve sports experience is what kids desire most.  Submit ideas for youth sports topics or guests here: https://www.yout...

Understanding instuctions from coaches is one of the challenges sports kids with ADHD and ADD face. Jazlyn Pipkins, founder and owner of Jazletics, gives parents and coaches tips for helping kids addresss focusing issues. For example, they should look the coach in the eye and concentrate on key words, she says. Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

At age 19, Cliff Meidl survived an electric shock that prompted his doctors to say they needed to amputate both legs above the knees. But his mother did some research and discovered Dr. Malcolm Lesavoy, a plastic surgeon and clinical professor of plastic surgery at UCLA School of Medicine. Lesavoy saved Meidl's legs, and then Meidl began the tough journey of learning how to walk again.  In this ep...

If young athletes embrace this 3-point pre-game plan, they'll experience more success--in and out of sports, says Jazlyn Pipkins, founder and owner of Jazletics LLC. She's a virtual peak performance mentality coach and former high school and college athlete. The winning three tasks are meditation, visualization and affirmation. In this podcasta, Pipkins goes into detail about how athletes should c...

Young athletes often drop out of sports if they can't keep up with the status quo and pay for travel teams or expensive camps, clubs and training, says Joey Grant, former Division 1 football player and CEO of GMTM, a social network that aims to increase access to sports for people of all ages. He provides tips on how to keep kids in sports. Subcribe on Apple Podcasts: Ultimate Sports Parent podcas...

Visualization and deep breathing are critical mental game skills, says Dion von Moltke, former professional race car driver and co-foudner of Blayze, which connects amateur athletes one-on-one with professional athletes. He describes how mental game training gave his racing career a boost.  

Young athletes are often not prepared for the transitions ahead of them, which may include moving from high school to college sports, playing Division 2 instead of Division 1, or being injured and not playing at all.  Justin Lott, CEO of VarCity, tells how to help young athletes prepare for these transitions, which can be devastating.  

Many sports kids don't understand what mental game training involves, and resist it. They think it's some kind of therapy. Truth is, mental game training is education. It's all about teaching kids how to boost skills that benefit them in sports and life. Mental game expert Dr. Cohn explains how to help kids embrace this important type of training.

About 70% of kids drop out of sports by the time they are 14, and of those, twice as many girls drop out than boys.  That's the word from Nicole McCormack, general manager of brand solutions at TeamSnap, a technology platform for sports parents and coaches. Why do so many girls drop out and what can parents and coaches do to keep them in sports?

Honest Game, a sports tech company, conducted research in 12 states and found that about 50% of high schools lack an educational pathway to play college sports. Joyce Anderson, co-founder and COO of Honest Game, explains what the NCAA requires and how Honest Game can help student athletes.

As an attorney, Judie Saunders represents youth athletes in civil court, mediations and arbitrations. Bullying by coaches and physical, verbal and sexual abuse are some of the issues she addresses for sports kids. She gives sports parents tips about the legal avenues they can pursue for kids who don't feel safe in sports.  Her top tip for sports parents: If kids are suffering from abuse or bullyin...

New rules and regulations that aim to prevent concussions can teach sports kids to respect their opponents. And they don't undermine mental game skills like determination, focus and intensity. That's the word from Thomas Heiden, who played college hockey at Notre Dame University and has coaches many different sports for a few decades. He's also a trial lawyer with Latham & Watkins who has handled...

Kids are coming to Skyhawks Sports Academy camps with confidence issues, says Sarah Kelley-Reid, a sports parent and East Coast regional manager of the organization, which provides which provides skill-based sports experiences for kids age 4-14. The organization addresses confidence issues by focusing on building life skills, including respect, teamwork and inclusion.   Visit us at https://www.you...

Recruiters and college coaches look for a number of mental game skills when they're evaluating athletes, says David Kmiecik, senior recruiting manager for Next College Student Athlete (NCSA). He describes how recruiters identify these traits and answers the question: How can athletes (and their parents) look their best in front of recruiters and college coaches?   Be sure to visit us at https://Yo...

Perfectionist sports kids are among the people most likely to seek help from Audrey Grunst, LCSW, a mental performance coach, owner of Simple Bee Counseling and former mental performance coach for the Northwestern University women's volleyball team.  How do help perfectionists? Start by telling them you love them, no matter what! Visit us at https://YouthSportsPsychology.com  

Teams can keep score, even when players are young, and the players will still have fun and learn physical and mental game skills. That's the message from former Walt Disney Studios executive Sasha Graham, a sports mom, former youth sports coach and author of "Whitney Wins Everything." They're more likely to be good team players and learn how to cope with losses and mistakes, she says. Learn more a...

Baseball can be a "self-esteem destroying sport" for kids because mistakes are a big part of th game, says Josh Thole, former catcher for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. But parents can help ensure the sport doesn't hurt their kids' self-esteem, he says.  First of all, they shouldn't focus on mistakes, but instead, should concentrate on helping kids move passt mistakes, he says. Visit htt...

Pickleball is growing quickly as a youth sport, with many schools offering it for the first time. The sport is easy to learn, doesn't require much equipment and is accessible to kids of all income levels. It offers the opportunity to build confidence and make new friends.    

Stereotypes about girls in sports hurt girls' performance, dreams and confidence, says Donny DeDonatis III, CEO of the United States Specialty Sports Association, a former pro athlete and sports parent to twins in sports. He describes his worries about his own daughter, age 7, and what he's doing to ensure girls and women have equal opportunities in sports. Visit http://YouthSportsPsychology.com  ...

What are the habits of supportive sports parents? Sharkie Zartman, a colllege professor, UCLA and USA national team volleyball athlete, author, coach and radio host give tips for sports parents. Learn more at https://youthsportspsychology.com For information about our programs: https://www.peaksports.com/sports-psychology-blog/sport-psychology-books-cd-programs/  

A study by the Aspen Institute and Utah State University--commissioned by TeamSnap--revealed what parents want most from youth sports and how the pandemic affected kids' ability to meet those goals.  TeamSnap's study showed that parents, most of all, want kids to have fun, said Peter Frintzilas, CEO of TeamSnap, a youth sports management app. How can parents help kids whose confidence and performa...

Coming out of the pandemic creates a much-needed opportunity to re-design youth sports in a way that provides kids with more fun and human connection. That's the word from Meredith Whitley, PhD, associate professor in Adelphi's School of Health Sciences and co-editor of the Journal for Sport Development. She gives tips for building connection and giving kids more control of their sports experience...