Solving Problems as an Athlete
Summary: How to Problem Solve is an essential skill for young athletes who face challenges such as being benched, losing confidence, or struggling with setbacks. When kids focus only on the problem, they feel trapped and discouraged. Shifting to a solution-oriented mindset helps them set goals, build confidence, stay focused, and develop patience. These mental skills not only help athletes overcome obstacles but also strengthen their performance.
How to Problem Solve for Athletes? Competitive sports have their fair share of ups and downs, and most players experience highs and lows during their career.
When players are at a low point, they sometimes feel like they are the only ones who experience tough times.
For example, if your young athlete was a three-year starter, and for seemingly no reason, the coach takes her out of the starting lineup for several games, many questions, doubts and negative thoughts may occupy her mind:
- Why am I being benched?
- Will I ever start again?
- What if my coach no longer believes in me?
- Maybe I’m not good enough to play at this level.
These thoughts are relatively normal for any player in these circumstances.
However, these thoughts focus on the problem.
If sports kids are not careful and fall prey to their doubts, they will feel trapped and helpless. What happens after these thoughts will impact their immediate future.
If young athletes focus on the problem, they will lose confidence and motivation. They will not feel in control of their future and hesitate to take action to move forward.
However, if they focus on finding solutions, they will feel empowered. They will feel motivated to grow their game mentally, physically and technically.
When sports kids are solution-oriented, they will develop the mental toughness needed to conquer challenges.
Solution-oriented sports kids have these skills:
- Goal Setting – They know what they need to overcome their current challenge.
- Focus – Kids understand how to address their current circumstances.
- Confidence – Kids can leverage their current skill set to improve their situation.
- Perspective and Patience – Young athletes understand that it takes some amount of time to move forward.
- Motivation – Motivated athletes identify what they need to do today to get the ball rolling in the right direction.
Mental skills not only help young athletes overcome obstacles, but these skills can boost kids’ performance.
After being waived by Gotham FC, winger Jenna Bike waited eight weeks for another opportunity. Bike acknowledged she struggled with her situation.
During those weeks, Bike continued to train and develop her skills, knowing she still wanted to play in the National Women’s Soccer League.
“I really wanted to stay in this league and stay stateside, so it was a lot of training, [especially] not knowing where my future was going to be or what was going to happen,” Bike said. “It was honestly a little difficult at times.”
After her 8-week layoff, Chicago Red Stars signed Bike to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. In a short time, Bike has improved substantially.
Not only is Bike excited to play again, but she wants to be a difference-maker and knows that it starts with a strong mental game.
“The technical piece is something you can always control and something I always try and work on, but where I had to pay more attention is the mental piece, playing with confidence, and being the player I know I can be every day, no matter who I am standing next to or who is on the field with me,” she said.
“Believing in myself has been so hard since I joined the league, but slowly, I’m starting to break the shell and get back to the basics. I know how to play soccer and have all the pieces; it’s just the mental side.”
Mental skills help bring into focus solutions that empower players to meet obstacles head-on. The truth is that well-developed mental skills can take athletes from average to awesome.
Athletes shouldn’t wait until problems arise before paying attention to their mental game. If they take a proactive approach to building mental skills, they can prevent obstacles from occurring in the first place.
How to Problem Solve as an Athlete
1. Shift From Problem-Focused to Solution-Oriented Thinking
Young athletes who dwell on doubts like “Why am I benched?” often lose confidence and motivation. Instead, teaching kids to problem solve by focusing on solutions helps them feel empowered, stay positive, and take actionable steps toward improvement.
2. Use Goal Setting to Overcome Obstacles
A key problem-solving skill in sports is goal setting. By identifying clear, achievable goals, athletes can outline the steps needed to move forward. This keeps them motivated and gives them a roadmap for growth, even during setbacks.
3. Build Mental Toughness Through Confidence and Focus
Problem-solving in athletics requires mental toughness. When athletes believe in their abilities and focus on what they can control—like effort, technique, and preparation—they’re more resilient under pressure and better equipped to handle adversity.
4. Develop Perspective and Patience for Long-Term Success
Athletes who learn patience and perspective are less likely to get stuck in negative thinking. Seeing challenges as temporary setbacks helps them stay motivated, persist through difficulties, and maintain consistent progress in their sport.
Related Kids Sports Psychology Articles:
- Pregame Tips for Sports Parents Video
- Communication Tips for Sports Parents Before Games
- Helping Sports Kids Develop an Emotional IQ
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THE FOCUSED SPORTS KID (DIGITAL DOWNLOAD)
“The Focused Sports Kid” helps sports kids who get easily distracted and can’t maintain their focus in competition. In this program, you and your athlete learn concentration-boosting strategies to help young athletes develop laser focus during competition. “The Focused Sports Kid” is two programs in one. You get a manual and Audio program for parents/coaches, and a PDF workbook and audio programs for young athletes.
“We just completed the first ten tips, it has helped tremendously for (our daughter) and us. We’ve learned to keep our behavior and comments in check. She’s letting mistakes happen and not worrying about them, she’s now just moves on to the next play with the same attitude as before the mistakes. She’s playing more aggressively all game. Her coach even mentioned that whatever we are doing, keep doing because it’s working.” ~Scott, Sports Dad
FAQ: How to Problem Solve in Sports for Young Athletes
Q: What does How to Problem Solve mean for athletes?
A: How to Problem Solve in sports means shifting from focusing on setbacks to finding actionable solutions. Instead of dwelling on doubts or mistakes, young athletes learn to set goals, build confidence, and stay motivated to move forward.
Q: Why is learning How to Problem Solve important for young athletes?
A: Developing problem-solving skills helps athletes handle challenges like being benched, struggling in competition, or losing confidence. By focusing on solutions, athletes feel more in control, resilient, and empowered to grow both mentally and physically.
Q: What mental skills are part of How to Problem Solve in sports?
A: Key mental skills include goal setting, focus, confidence, patience, perspective, and motivation. These skills help athletes turn challenges into opportunities for improvement and maintain strong performance under pressure.
Q: How can coaches and parents help kids learn How to Problem Solve?
A: Coaches and parents can encourage athletes to review past successes, reinforce positive self-talk, and remind them to focus on what they can control. Guiding kids to develop mental skills early helps prevent future obstacles.
Q: Can How to Problem Solve improve athletic performance?
A: Yes! When young athletes apply problem-solving strategies, they develop mental toughness that boosts performance, consistency, and confidence in competition.
Kids Sports Psychology expert Patrick Cohn, Ph.D. has helped athletes for over 35 years to enhance their performance. Dr. Cohn earned a master’s degree in sports psychology from CSUF and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, specializing in Applied Sports Psychology. Today, he is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports, LLC in Orlando, Florida.