Building Confidence in Young Athletes Lisa Cohn

When kids make mistakes or are struggling during a game in youth sports, it's not easy to quickly switch to positive thinking.
Instead, young athletes should embrace neutral thinking first. This involves focusing on improving one skill. This gives kids something positive to focus on, rather than filling their minds with negative thoughts.
Send us podcast ideas: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ultimate-sports-parent/
Visit our blog: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/
 
 

Rather than telling sports kids how to play, parents and coaches should help kids develop their signature style, says Craig Lambert, former chief sports writer at Harvard Magazine.
Kids should begin with strategy, and build their game around that. Technique should follow, he said. Parents should let kids experiment and improvise to develop their own style. This will help them build confidence.
Send podcast ideas: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ultimate-sports-parent/
Visit our blog: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/
 
 
 
 

Carter Hogg, a 20-year-old college football player and inventor of a neck guard to help athletes avoid injuries, discusses the fear of getting injured and the challenges of coming back after an injury.
Send ideas for podcast interviews: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ultimate-sports-parent/
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-confidence-in-young-athletes/id1602758597
Read articles about youth sports psychology: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/about-the-authors/
 
 

Sports kids face a number of challenges when their identity is wrapped up in sports, said Dr. Becca Wallace, a clinical pediatric psychologist at Children's Hospital in New Orleans.
When they get overly involved in sports, their identity becomes closely tied to being athletes.
If they're injured or have to stop playing sports, it can be devastating for young athletes whose identity is too tied to sports, she said. She suggests that parents help young athletes create more balance in their lives.
Send us podcast ideas here: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ultimate-sports-parent/
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-confidence-in-young-athletes/id1602758597
Check out our youth sports psychology blog: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/about-the-authors/

There's so much goodness that can come from participating in youth sports, but ensuring kids experience that goodness requires teams to establish team cultures based on clear expectations of players, parents and coaches.
Team agreements and ethical coaching can help create the opportunity for sports kids to benefit from all that sports offers.
That's the word from Katie Steele and Dr. Tiffany Brown, co-founders of the nonprofit organization Athletes Mental Health Foundation.
Brown and Steele describe how coaches and leagues can forge team agreements and focus on ethical coaching.
Send podcast ideas: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/contact-ultimate-sports-parent/
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-confidence-in-young-athletes/id1602758597
Visit our youth sports psychology blog: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/
 

Kids get emotional in street hockey. They might throw their hockey sticks because they missed a shot, for example. Coaches with the Charlotte Street Hockey League deal with such behavior by inviting kids to express their feelings, and then trying to help them find more appropriate ways to communicate. The coaches also focus on teamwork and equal playing time, all the while searching for teachable moments, said Josh Greco, the nonprofit organization's youth director.
For more information about the league, visit Joshuargreco.com.
To send us ideas for podcasts: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/contact/
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-confidence-in-young-athletes/id1602758597
Visit out youth sports psychology blog: https://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/