4 Ways How Emotions Affect Sports Kids

Feelings Can be Contagious in Youth Sports

Summary: Emotional contagion in youth sports happens when young athletes pick up on the emotions of parents, coaches, or teammates—whether positive or negative. Kids often mimic body language, tone, and expressions, which can boost or hurt performance. Negative emotions, such as frustration or criticism, can spread quickly and lower confidence across a team. However, emotional contagion can also be a positive force when athletes, parents, and coaches model encouragement, patience, and optimism.

Athletes can pick up on others’ feelings–often negative–in youth sports. In fact, feelings can snowball from one player to another, either lifting the team up emotionally or dragging it down.

That’s the message from Jess Woods, Ph.D, a sport and performance consultant, sports parent and youth sports coach. She calls this phenomenon emotional contagion.

“Emotional contagion is the bread and butter when it comes to parents and their relationships with their athlete,” she says. Young athletes will mimic parents’ facial expression, tone and body language.

“The first step is mimicry,” She Says.

First athletes become aware of another person’s emotion and how it’s affecting their bodies. Then the contagion begins. Kids will embody the emotion of the person they are interacting with. More often than not, this happens on an unconscious level.

All the kids on a team can “catch” negative emotions expressed by a parent, coach or player, says Woods. But if parents and coaches are more aware of their own emotions, they can help stop the emotional contagion. They can also check in with kids about their feelings.

“We see this play out with athletes,” says Woods. “If individuals are not aware of their own mannerisms and body language, or how to process emotions, they can transmit them to someone else, creating a situation of annoyance, unhappiness or frustration.”

Emotional Contagion can also be a Positive Force.

If a team member is happy and positive, he or she can transmit these feelings to others on the team.

Let’s say one parent gives one athlete negative feedback. That athlete picks up on those emotions and may start criticizing teammates. “It can be a recipe for disaster,” says Woods. “Everyone feels like they are coming from a place of helpfulness.”

It’s parents’ responsibility to be aware of their emotions and how they’re affecting their sports kids.

For example, Woods had to rush home from work to take her daughter to a game, and her daughter wasn’t prepared; she hadn’t put on her shoes and shinguards.

Rather than pushing her daughter to go faster, she changed her perspective and language in an effort to calm herself–and her daughter.

To deal with emotional contagion, coaches can do a quick check in with all athletes, or check in with them one-on-one before practice. The coach then knows the kids’ attitudes and can keep an eye out for emotional contagion. It’s also important to check in after the practice, Woods says.

Listen to the entire interview with Woods:

4 Tips to Manage Emotional Contagion in Youth Sports

1. Parents Should Model Positive Emotions
Since young athletes mimic facial expressions, tone, and body language, parents can reduce negative emotional contagion by staying calm and encouraging. Modeling positivity helps athletes focus on their game rather than absorbing stress or frustration.

2. Coaches Should Do Emotional Check-Ins
A quick check-in before or after practice helps coaches identify athletes’ emotional states. By being proactive, coaches can spot early signs of emotional contagion and redirect negative energy into motivation and teamwork.

3. Teach Athletes to Recognize Their Feelings
Helping kids understand how emotions affect performance is key. When athletes learn to identify nerves, frustration, or excitement, they can manage their emotions better and avoid passing negativity to teammates.

4. Use Emotional Contagion as a Positive Force
Not all emotional contagion is harmful—positivity is contagious too. Encouraging upbeat attitudes, celebrating small successes, and reinforcing supportive team behavior helps spread confidence and motivation across the team.

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Related Sports Psychology Articles

• Dealing with Outbursts in Youth Sports
• Improve Sports Kids’ Confidence and Focus
• Tips for Communicating with Your Child About Sports

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One-on-one mental performance coaching is the fastest and most effective method to improve your athletes’ mental game, boost their performance, and make lasting changes. And as a bonus, parents learn what to say to help young athletes feel confident and thrive in sports. Please call us at 888-742-7225 with your questions.

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FAQ: How to Boost Resilience in Young Athletes

Q: What does resilience mean for young athletes?
A: Resilience in young athletes refers to their ability to bounce back from losses, injuries, or other challenges while maintaining confidence, focus, and motivation to improve consistently.

Q: How can parents help their sports kids build resilience?
A: Parents can help boost resilience by modeling strong problem-solving skills, encouraging reflection after setbacks, celebrating creative solutions, and praising persistence and effort.

Q: Why is problem-solving crucial for developing resilience in athletes?
A: Problem-solving teaches young athletes to view challenges as opportunities, learn from mistakes, and strengthen their mental toughness to overcome adversity effectively.

Q: How does reflection improve resilience in sports kids?
A: Reflection allows athletes to analyze their performance, identify what worked, pinpoint areas for improvement, and develop better strategies for future competitions.

Q: Can focusing on the big picture enhance a young athlete’s resilience?
A: Yes, helping athletes see the bigger picture after a loss reinforces that setbacks are temporary and part of the growth process, keeping them motivated and focused.

Q: What role do positive role models play in a child’s resilience?
A: When parents and coaches demonstrate calm, solution-oriented behavior and perseverance, young athletes learn to handle challenges positively, strengthening their resilience both on and off the field.