Kids sports psychology articles for sports parents, young athletes, and team coaches to improve and learn mental game performance and consistency.
How to be a Sports Parent as a Former Athlete Summary: Experienced sports parents can help their kids succeed by being positive and supportive rather than controlling or critical. Avoid yelling on the sidelines, criticizing coaches, or coaching your child during games. Offer help to the coach tactfully and focus … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What to do if Your Child Gets Self-Intimidated? Summary: Self-intimidation happens when young athletes psych themselves out before or during competition. It can cause doubt, anxiety, and loss of focus, leading to poor performance. Parents can help by teaching their children to focus on their own skills, create a game … Read Sport Psychology Tip
When Coached Met the Parents Many parents have concerns about their kids’ coaches — how they coach, how they organize practices or how playing time is divided. This can add stress to a coach’s responsibilities. Not only do coaches worry about winning games and improving kids’ skills, they also have … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What is Choking? Summary: Coaches often face concerns from parents about playing time, coaching style, and their child’s overall sports experience. To address these issues effectively, coaches should be proactive by holding pre-season meetings to explain team rules, expectations, and goals. Handling concerns respectfully is key—waiting for a cooling-off period … Read Sport Psychology Tip
No Matter how Hard we Try, We Will Never be Perfect Summary: Disappointment after making mistakes are a natural and essential part of youth sports, offering children valuable opportunities to learn, grow, and build resilience. Parents and coaches play a key role in shaping how young athletes handle setbacks, from … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Sports Kids Playing in their Comfort Zones Summary: Young athletes often struggle with comfort zones—mental barriers formed by expectations and past experiences that limit their performance. When kids feel they are playing “over their heads,” they may lose confidence, focus too much on avoiding mistakes, or try to protect the … Read Sport Psychology Tip