Alex Molden, a former NFL player who is now a motivational speaker, high school football coach and sports parent, says that parents need to be more patient. Too often, they’re too focused on pushing their kids to the top as quickly as possible. “Kids have to find their path,” Molden … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Resilience is a must in sports. It’s easy for kids to feel their confidence erode if they’re not very resilient. Feeling stressed out can be compounded by mistakes, making kids feel even more stressed. The negative effects can pile up. Lack of resiliency will also take the fun out of … Read Sport Psychology Tip
What is team culture? “The culture is how it feels to be involved with the team,” says Mark Lawton, a longtime teacher and coach who has led numerous teams to the championship level. “How the team feels about and interacts with the coach. Do you want the culture to be … Read Sport Psychology Tip
No matter how well-intended coaches may be, they still can fall into the behavior that was common when they grew up, namely the “tough love” coaching style. While it was once common for coaches to be viewed as taskmasters, rather than bullies, sports psychology has furthered our knowledge of how … Read Sport Psychology Tip
When kids experience sports injuries severe enough to keep them from playing or participating, they tend to have fairly dramatic reactions, said Dr. Jorge Gomez, Pediatric Sports Medicine Physician at Texas Children’s Hospital in a podcast interview. He stressed that communicating with your sports children is essential to overcoming any … Read Sport Psychology Tip
It’s important for kids to separate their self-worth from their performance and it’s critical for parents to remind kids that their self-image should not be tied to how well they perform. When your sports kids’ whole self-image is tied to athletic performance, they often deal with substantial psychological consequences and … Read Sport Psychology Tip