Building Confidence in Young Athletes

Good coaches can motivate athletes to try their hardest. They can help kids move on from mistakes. They can even change kids' lives, said Dylan Meyer, 22, founder of Legacy of Legends, which helps parents choose sports camps for their young athletes. Send podcast ideas: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ult

Young athletes have very open minds, which is good and bad news in sports, says Susan Williams, a clinical hypnotherapist at SportHypnotherapy.com. On the one hand, criticism from coaches and parents can affect them at the subconscious level, creating mental roadblocks. But beccause kids' minds are so open. such challe

Cathy Spaas was a professional equestrian show jumper at a young age and suffered from pressure to perform. At age 14, she was riding at international shows, but began to feel like she wasn't good enough, she said. She lost her confidence and passion for the sport. Now, her goal at Your Success Trainer--Cathy Spaas is

Young athletes who set high expectations often get frustrated when they don't meet their expectations. Mike Mancini, a certified mental performance coach, explains why setting process goals is important and gives examples of these goals. The aim is for young athletes to stay grounded in the moment, and avoid focusing o

As a former college athlete, youth sports coach and sports parent, Eric Collins says his biggest challenge is being a sports parent. It's sometimes hard for him to let his son follow his own sports journey, he said. One way to allow kids to embrace their own journey is to encourage them to communicate directly with coa

Competence, relatedness and autonomy are three characteristics that help sports kids feel intrinsically motivated, said Caleb Chambliss, a licensed mental health counselor, leadership coach and athlete development specialist. With these three characteristics, young athletes are more likely to feel in control, and as a