Saturday, December 15, 2007

Youth Sports: An Athlete’s "Emotional Tank"

By Lisa Cohn and Dr. Patrick Cohn

How can parents and coaches fill a young athlete’s “emotional tank?”

Coaches need to praise kids five times before they provide one piece of constructive criticism, says David Jacobson, a spokesman for the Positive Coaching Alliance, based at Stanford University.

“We liken a child’s emotional tank to a car’s gas tank. When the tank is full, it runs well. When it’s drained, it doesn’t run well,” he explains.

To fill a child’s or teen’s tank, parents and coaches need to provide a steady flow of specific, truthful praise, Jacobson says. When you do this, sports kids are more confident. They’re also more open to criticism and more likely to listen to what the coach or parent has to say.

“When you’re praising, you’re creating a great feeling for the child so he or she wants to continue the work required to excel as an athlete and take away all the life lessons that sports has to offer,” he says.

It’s critical to build young athletes’ confidence by praising them. For many young athletes, confidence is fragile and wavers easily depending on their performance and feedback from parents and coaches. They’re less likely to feel confident if they make mistakes or lose a match and get criticized.

One of your goals is to help your child develop a more stable level of confidence. Help them through the bumps in the confidence roller coaster.

Here’s another way to fill your kids’ emotional tanks and boost their confidence: Teach them how to praise themselves. Help your kids create a confidence resume. It may include a fun practice, a past experience, a successful game, skills improvement or good coaching. Ask your kids to review their confidence resumes before competing.

To develop confidence, kids, should have a “highlight reel” in their heads just before a game, says Robert Troutwine, Ph.D., founder of Troutwine and Associates. That’s a mental image of their most amazing play, move or moment in sports. It’s an image of a play, move or moment that makes them feel on top of the world!

Remember: The last thing we want is for your young athletes to mentally rehearse bad plays, moves or moments in sports!

Why? Because they’ll be practicing the wrong things. They’ll allow self-doubt to creep into their minds. They’ll be totally distracted!

However, playing in their heads a highlight reel that’s a totally awesome moment will help them feel confident—it will give them the feeling they can and will succeed.

Award winning parenting writer Lisa Cohn and Youth Sports Psychology expert Dr. Patrick Cohn are co-founders of The Ultimate Sports Parent. Pick up their free e-book, “Ten Tips to Improve Confidence and Success in Young Athletes” by visiting
www.youthsportspsychology.com.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Talented Kid Athletes and High Expectations

Chris, the sports mom of an 8-year-old athlete, faces a difficult dilemma: Her son is a talented goalie in hockey, but he's so good that his team mates and coaches rely on him.

Chris's problem: The boy feels so pressured to perform that he recently pretended to be sick to avoid playing goalie in an end-of-season tournament.

Initially, the boy said that he enjoyed the fact that everyone liked him so much for being such a great goalie. However, it's clear that he soon began worrying that peers and coaches wouldn't like him if he didn't perform up to expectations.

When parents have talented or successful athletes who struggle with high expectations, they need to get to the root of what's upsetting or worrying their athletes. First of all, help the kids identify their own high expectations.

The athlete might say, "If I let my team down, nobody will like me." Or the child might say, "If I make a mistake, I screw up the game for everyone." Be sure to openly discuss athletes' fears or anxieties.

In most cases, we've discovered that kids in this position likely are afraid of failing or afraid of losing their peers' or coaches' approval. They may also be perfectionists who think they shouldn't
make mistakes.

Often, athletes' expectations are unrealistic. The athletes may feel as if they must win the game for everyone. Or they may feel as if they are not allowed to make any mistakes. These unrealistic expectations can undermine an athlete's confidence.

Discuss these expectations with your sports kids and help them understand that they shouldn't expect so much of themselves. You might remind them that no one is perfect. Tell them that people

will like even if they make mistakes.

Some kids are more open about discussing their feelings than others. With kids who are less likely to open up, be on the lookout for the moments during the day when they're more likely to share their feelings. Sometimes this is when you pick them up from school; sometimes it's just before they go to bed.

Want to learn more about how to create confidence and success in your young athlete? Check out our Ultimate Sports Parent workbook/CD program by clicking here!


You'll learn:

  • How much pressure is too much pressure
  • How to communicate with your young athlete
  • How parents can instill confidence in young athletes
  • How to prepare young athletes for game day
  • How to cope with your young athlete's fear of failure

And other important tips for sports parents!

Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert
& Lisa Cohn, Youth Sports Parenting Author

P.S. The Ultimate Sports Parent workbook program comes
with a neat bonus that helps parents act and say the right
things before a game or competition

©2007 The Ultimate Sports Parent by Peak Performance Sports
Instilling Mental Skills for Sports & Life!
888-742-7225/407-909-1700 (local)
http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/

Monday, September 17, 2007

Helping Young Athletes Trust in Their Skills

Do your sports kids excel in practice, but freeze up in competition? Do they have a hard time just being spontaneous and “free” when they compete? If so, you might need to help your child trust his or her athletic ability...

Freezing up in competition is a common challenge for young athletes. Some kids and teens love to practice and improve, but when it comes to competing, they suddenly don’t trust in their own skills and or have confidence in their abilities.

All young athletes face a lack of trust and confidence in their skills from time to time.

Maybe they’re new to a particular sport. Maybe they’re trying to learn a brand new skill and haven’t quite gotten it yet. Perhaps they’re perfectionists and feel that their performance isn’t “perfect” enough. They may also be afraid of making mistakes, so they play or compete tentatively.

Why should kids trust in their skills and abilities?

If they believe in their ability to execute a skill successfully, they’ll feel more confident. And more confidence will lead to more trust. That’s crucial to success and happiness in sports. In order to trust, athletes need to let go of conscious control—of their motor skills, for example. They must be able to perform spontaneously and intuitively.

As parents and coaches, there’s lots you can do to help young athletes learn to compete with trust and freedom.

First of all, look at your own behavior. Do you:

>>Ask your child to focus on proper or perfect form during the game?


>>Encourage your child to try to be perfect when performing?

>>Over coach your child right before game time?

>>Introduce a different method than the coach’s and confuse your child?

Instead, you need to:


  1. Help your young athletes leave practice on the practice field, and learn to trust in their abilities.
  2. Help them switch into an athletic, “let it happen” mindset in competition. Tell them to react intuitively, to keep it simple: See the ball and hit it.
  3. Help them think of ways to perform in the here-and-now. How can they get the job done without worrying about or analyzing how to get the job done?
  4. Help them accept that they can’t perform perfectly.

Want to learn more about how to help kids improve their performance, trust and confidence?

Check out our Ultimate Sports Parent workbook/CD program....

You’ll learn how to:

>Instill a confident mindset in your young athletes

>Help kids deal with competitive pressure

>Help kids trust their skills on game day

>Help young athletes set goals

>Guide sports kids who are dealing with difficult feelings and much more!

Hop over to our web site to snag your copy:


http://youthsportspsychology.com/

Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert

P.S. The Ultimate Sports Parent workbook program comes with a neat
bonus that helps parents act and say the right things before a game or
competition:

http://youthsportspsychology.com/

©2007 The Ultimate Sports Parent by Peak Performance Sports
Instilling Mental Skills for Sports & Life!

Friday, September 7, 2007

Keeping Young Athletes from Dropping Out

Did you know that 75% of all young athletes drop out of sports by the time they are 13? They drop out because taking part in youth sports is no longer enjoyable for them.

What factors might lead young athletes to drop out? First of all, they might be playing for the wrong reasons—because a parent or coach wants them to play. Ultimately, playing to make someone else happy doesn't make the athlete happy.

Second, they may feel too much pressure to perform. When kids feel too much pressure, they often under-perform. Their confidence and happiness may sink.

Third, peers, parents and coaches may expect too much of young athletes—especially talented athletes. High expectations can undermine athletes' confidence and happiness.

To ensure your young athletes continue to enjoy sports, make sure they're playing because they want to play. Let your young athletes lead you. If all they want to do is play recreationally, let them do just that.

Don't push them to try out for higher levels of competition if they're mostly interested in playing for fun with friends. If you push them, your efforts may backfire and your kids may drop out of sports. Kids sometimes thrive when they can develop confidence at lower levels.

In addition, don't focus too much on winning. Winning may be fun for parents. But it's not always what's most fun for kids. Keep the long-term benefits of sports participation in mind. By taking part in athletics, kids learn important life skills such as sportsmanship, teamwork, and coping with adversity. They also stay fit and healthy.

Check your own motivations. Do you want your kids to play sports to win scholarships or to succeed in ways that you failed to succeed? Don't assume your athletes have the same goals or motivations that you have about sports.

Be a good cheerleader. Be positive and supportive of your young athletes' team and coaches. Find ways to help out the team. You can be a team parent or sign up to bring snacks, for example. While you're being supportive, be sure to keep your own coaching to a minimum. Leave the coaching to the coach.

Want to learn more about how to ensure kids stay in the game for as long as possible? Check out our Ultimate Sports Parent workbook and CD program. Nearly every section gives you important tips about how to ensure your kids enjoy sports for now and many years to come. Specifically, the workbook/CD program addresses:

*How to communicate with your young athletes


*How to help your athletes establish appropriate goals

*Providing positive motivation for your athletes

*How to instill a confident mindset in your sports kids

*Helping kids deal with competitive pressure

*Providing kids with positive support after defeat

**And much more!

Hop over to our web site to learn more how to help sports kids improve confidence and success!


Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert


P.S. The Ultimate Sports Parent workbook program comes with a neat
bonus that helps parents act and say the right things before a game or
competition:

http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/

©2007 The Ultimate Sports Parent by Peak Performance Sports
Instilling Mental Skills for Sports & Life!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Helping Your Sports Kid Set Good Goals

Too often, sports parents set goals for their kids that are different than the kids' goals. It’s important for parents and coaches to help sports kids identify their own goals and then help them follow through on them.

Says Dony Wilcher, a popular basketball coach in Portland, OR., “I had one parent who wanted the world for his child. He went out of his way to get him the right equipment and send him to the top camps.”

“At the end of it all, he was perplexed that the kid was not a superstar. In some cases, kids will veer away from the sport altogether if the parents' goals are different than theirs.”

At first, most kids generally want to play sports to have fun and be with friends. At that point, that’s their goal, and it’s not necessary to set goals with them.

When they begin to be competitive--when they play in tournaments or join competitive teams--it's time to begin talking about their goals. For some children, this might be as young as 7 or 8--if they display unusual talent and motivation.

For example, I worked with one 8-year-old motocross racer who spent four hours per day training. It would be appropriate to talk about goals with a child like this.

When you're talking with your young athlete, begin with a broad, open-ended question.

If, for example. your child's goal is to try out for and make his or her high school basketball team, that's the long-term goal. Ask the child what he or she needs to do to make the team.

Evaluate his or her skills in dribbling, free-throw shooting, and defense, for example. Try to de-emphasize the long-term goal of making the team. When young athletes are too preoccupied with making the team, they may impose too many expectations on themselves and undermine their confidence.

Instead, parents and coaches should help young athletes identify smaller, shorter-term goals, such as improving their free-throw shooting.

Once you've helped your young athletes identify their goals, it's your job to help them aim toward them. The parents, coaches and athletes need to work as a team.

Parents should support their athletes by driving them to practices, cheering them on, and finding ways to ensure they are able to follow through on their commitments.

However, it's critical to be flexible. Parents and coaches should help kids modify their goals on a weekly or monthly basis.

Want to learn more about helping young athletes feel happy and confident in sports? Check out our latest program, “The Ultimate Sports Parent” workbook and CD program:

http://youthsportspsychology.com/ultimate_sports_parent_workbook.php

You'll learn...


  • How much pressure is too much

  • How to prepare young athletes on game day

  • How to help kids stop worrying about what everyone thinks of their
    performance

  • How to help kids overcome their fear of failure

  • And much more!

Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert

P.S. 'The Ultimate Sports Parent' workbook program comes with a neat
bonus that helps parents act and say the right things before a game
or competition, which you can download immediately:

http://youthsportspsychology.com/ultimate_sports_parent_workbook.php

©2007 The Ultimate Sports Parent by Peak Performance Sports
http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Helping Perfectionistic Sports Kids

Often, we hear from parents who worry about young athletes who are too hard on themselves. You’re likely familiar with these types of athletes. They’re perfectionists or perfectionistic.

Perfectionistic athletes criticize themselves for making mistakes, often hold very high expectations for themselves, and get frustrated easily after making mistakes.

On the positive side, these athletes have a strong work ethic, are committed to their goals, and want to learn and improve. In fact, most athletes display at least some 'perfectionistic' traits from time to time.

It’s not always easy for perfectionist athletes to perform up to their abilities. When kids try to be perfect, they can undermine their own talents quickly. They hold strict expectations about their performance, are afraid of failing, and worry too much about results—statistics, goals scored or wins.

If your young athlete is a perfectionist, begin by identifying the traits that may be sabotaging his or her confidence in competition.

Does your child want to win so badly that he feels anxious? Is your athlete afraid of failing or losing? Does he or she play tentatively during games? Does your athlete try too hard and then over-control his or her performance?

One important task for you as parent....

Parents with perfectionist athletes should help kids identify their high (often unrealistic) expectations about how they should perform. Then help your child replace these expectations with simple process goals.

For example, say your athlete believes he or she should hit every shot perfectly. Suggest that your child replace his or her “I must hit every shot perfectly” mindset with these simple process goals or objectives: 1. Pick the right target for each shot 2. Be decisive 3. Be confident.

Want to learn more about how to build confidence and success in young athletes? Check out our workbook/CD program, “The Ultimate Sports Parent: A 14-Day Plan for Kids’ Success in Sports.”

You’ll also learn how to:


  • Decide how much pressure is too much pressure
  • Motivate kids to master their sport
  • Help kids feel confident in athletics
  • Help young athletes not worry about what everyone thinks
  • Guide children as they cope with frustration, anger and heartache in sports
  • Cope with kids’ difficult or negative coaches
  • Provide young athletes with the right kind of support after defeats or mistakes

Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert
& Lisa Cohn, Youth Sports Parenting Author

P.S. Do you and your child want to learn how to overcome perfectionism, fear of failure, and perform up to one's potential? You might want to check out our new workbook to help sports kids perform better and accept imperfection.

©2007 The Ultimate Sports Parent by Peak Performance Sports
Instilling Mental Skills for Sports & Life!

http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Beware of Abusive Coaches in Youth Sports

Lisa Cohn here, partner of my brother, Patrick Cohn from http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/. In my 14 years as a sports parent, one of the most difficult challenges I ever faced was coping with an abusive coach.

My son was a 7th grader who loved basketball more than anything in the world. But his coach was a nightmare. He yelled at the boys, threw basketballs at them, and called them names.

None of the other parents on this team were willing to call up the coach and question his style. Why? They were afraid the coach would bench their sons, cut their playing time, or cut then from the team altogether.

As a sports parent--especially if you're a parent to an elementary or middle-school aged child--it's your job to ensure your child is in good hands.

Before you even sign your kids up for a team, it’s entirely appropriate and reasonable to interview the coach. You should ask potential coaches about their philosophy and how they handle playing time.

That's not all you can do.

If your young athletes are already part of a team, but don't seem happy with the coach, you need to do some research. Is the coach always unhappy with your athlete's performance, no matter how well she performs?

Does the coach criticize your child constantly, or dwell on mistakes? Is your child withdrawn or quiet around the coach? If so, you need to take action.

You can learn more about how to interview and communicate with coaches. Check out our workbook/CD program, “The Ultimate Sports Parent: A 14-Day Plan for Kids’ Success in Sports” by using the link:

http://youthsportspsychology.com/ultimate_sports_parent_workbook.php

You'll learn:

  • How to evaluate a potential coach.
  • How to communicate with your child's coach.
  • What to do if your child's difficult coach is the only one in town.
  • How to identify signs that the coach is undermining your athlete's
    experience.
  • How to help kids cope with difficult feelings.
  • How to teach kids no one is perfect!

Our new workbook program is flying off the shelves. Get your copy
today before we empty the shelves of the first printing!

http://youthsportspsychology.com/ultimate_sports_parent_workbook.php

Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert
& Lisa Cohn, Youth Sports Parenting Author

P.S. For real-life strategies on how interview and communicate with your child's coach, check out our workbook/CD program – just for sports parents:
http://youthsportspsychology.com/ultimate_sports_parent_workbook.php

©2007 The Ultimate Sports Parent by Peak Performance Sports
Instilling Mental Skills for Sports & Life!
888-742-7225 407-909-1700 (local)
http://www.peaksports.com/
7380 Sand Lake Rd. Orlando, FL 32819

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

How Youth Athletes Cope with Pressure

Do you know what kind of pressures young athletes face in sports?

As sports parents, it's important to be tuned in to this issue. If your athletes are equestrians, for example, they likely feel pressure to perform up to their abilities.

Then there's the added pressure of dealing with their horses' ups and downs. Add to that the potential for danger—and you've got a pressure-cooker situation at times.

That's what Missy Clark, head trainer and owner of North Run Show Stables, Warren, Vermont told us in a recent interview. She works with some of the top young riders in the country.

What distinguishes the top performers in high-pressure situations?

They understand the mental side of sports, Clark says. In fact, one of her most successful young athletes had a mind like a "sponge" for sports psychology, she says. "She wasn't the most naturally talented rider, but she had an incredibly open mind about the mental aspect of sports."

That’s true of kids in all sports. They face numerous pressures.

They may intimidate themselves by comparing themselves to their competitors. They may pressure themselves to perform better than their peers. They may feel pressure from coaches to improve their performance.

If sports kids can identify and learn how to cope with these pressures, they've got a tremendous advantage. They’re likely to be happier and more successful.

We know that your kids likely impose lots of pressure on themselves.

They don't need any additional pressure from you. Be very careful about how you phrase your words of "support," especially before a competition or game. Even if you say, before a game, "I hope you score three goals today," you're pressuring your athletes.

Do you want to learn more about how to boost your young athlete’s mental game? Check out our Ultimate Sports Parent workbook and CD program. You’ll learn how to:

  • Motivate kids to do well in sports
  • Help kids feel confident in athletics
  • Help young athletes stop worrying about what everyone thinks
  • Teach kids no one is perfect
  • Guide children as they cope with frustration, anger and heartache in sports
  • Deal with kids’ difficult or negative coaches

Learn all our tips for providing athletes with the right kind of support--before games and after defeats or mistakes. Check out our Ultimate Sports Parent workbook/CD program.

Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert
& Lisa Cohn, Youth Sports Parenting Author

P.S. For more ideas about how to encourage kids in sports, check out
our workbook/CD program – just for sports parents:
http://youthsportspsychology.com/ultimate_sports_parent_workbook.php

© 2007 The Ultimate Sports Parent by Peak Performance Sports
http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/

Thursday, April 5, 2007

How to Boost Kids' Sports Confidence

We often see kids who excel in practice, but freeze up during games. This can be frustrating and confusing for parents and coaches. What's going on in the young athlete's mind and what can sports parents and coaches do about it?

First, sports parents and coaches should help young athletes understand that they create their own sports confidence mindset. If kids begin a game needing immediate results (such as getting the first hit or basket of the game), they're hurting their confidence.

It is critical to remind young athletes that they've been practicing to develop confidence for many years. Don't let them lose their hard-earned confidence by worrying about achieving immediate results!

What's more, athletes need to understand that they'll be more successful if they assume full responsibility for their own confidence before competition begins. This is why it's called self-confidence!

Often, athletes take a back seat approach and wait until they make a couple of plays before they decide how confident they should feel.

If this is how your young athlete thinks, they need positive results before they feel confident. In other words, they need to make that great hit or basket before they can begin to feel confident.

If this is true of the young athletes in your life, you can help. Tell them they need to change how they think before entering competition. Tell them not to worry about making that first hit, goal or basket right away!

Instead, they should draw on their many successes even before the game or competition begins.

We suggest that you learn how to boost your child’s confidence. And we can help. Go check out our “Ultimate Sports Parent” workbook/CD program. You'll also discover:

* How to communicate with your young athletes.
* How to help them establish appropriate goals.
* How to help them trust their skills on game day.
* How to help them cope with competitive pressure.
* And other tips!

Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert
& Lisa Cohn, Youth Sports Parenting Author

P.S. For more ideas about how to boost kids' confidence in sports,
check out our workbook/CD program – just for sports parents.
http://youthsportspsychology.com/


© 2007 The Ultimate Sports Parent by Peak Performance Sports
http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/

Monday, March 19, 2007

Sports Parents Should Be "Team Players" Too

My sister, Lisa and I recently interviewed a successful youth sports coach about one of his biggest challenges. He told us how to help parents understand what to say to young athletes during the trip home after a game.

Coach Brian Gardner of St. Louis, Missouri has coached ice hockey for 10 years. He even led one team of 11 to 12-year-olds to a national championship.

Some of Gardner's players' parents drive for as long as 1.5 hours to get their kids to the ice rink. That's a long time for parents to be alone with their kids after a game, says Gardner. Especially if they spend that time talking about the players' performance.

"A lot of times, parents think more about their kids' success than the whole team," says Gardner. The result: They give too much instruction, which can undo Coach Gardner's lessons and coaching system.

"At the least harmful level, the parents second guess some of the systems we put in place, such as a power play system. They say 'You should do this, not what Coach says," Gardner relates.

On a more harmful level, parents tell their kids that they played badly. Out of frustration, parents sometimes even suggest to kids they should consider giving up the sport.

This behavior, while well-meaning, is counter-productive to Coach Gardner's efforts and not helpful for the players, he says.

So, what exactly is good communication with a young athlete after a game? (As sports parents who have made lots of mistakes, we know this isn't an easy question).

First of all, it's critical to support the coach, as we discuss in our new youth sports workbook/CD program. You'll only confuse your child by disagreeing with the coach or offering counterproductive coaching.

Second, you need to encourage your child as often as possible. Even if your athlete's team lost, you can find something positive to say about his or her attitude, effort or about two or three positive plays. As a sports parent, your goal is to build your child's confidence—not tear it down.

You'll learn lots more about how to build your young athlete's confidence in our new workbook program, "The Ultimate Sports Parent: A 14-Day Plan for Kids' Success in Sports."

You'll learn how to improve your young athlete's composure and focus. You'll discover just what to do and say before and after games—and why it's so important to follow our strategies.

You'll learn what to do when your young athletes chokes, get upset about mistakes, worry what others think of them or believe the coach favors everyone but them!

***************************************
'As parents, we supply our sports kids with all
the right equipment and coaches. But just having
the right mindset using sports psychology is the
least expensive and most effective investment in
them.'
~Julia Dreyer,sports mom to two champion equestrians
*****************************************

Go read more about our workbook today:
The Ultimate Sports Parent - Help Your Kid in Sports Improve Confidence

Thanks,

Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert

P.S. You can listen to the interview with Brian and many others like it by visiting the podcast section of our website:
http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/

Saturday, March 3, 2007

The Ultimate Sports Parent Radio Show

We recently received an email for John about The Ultimate Sports Parent Radio Show (podcast). Here is what John had to say…

Lisa,

I listening to several of your podcast and found them very interesting. However, the suggestions given by your guests are very slanted towards the coach's perspective and not the players or parents.

They seem to think that the coach is always right and the parents need to help the kids adapt. The whole point of some of your show topics is that there are bad coaches or coaches who simply make mistakes and we need to address that.

I sense that you understand this and push your guest to address this but they just don't get it. Telling a kid to play better so he too can be a coach favorite isn't very sound advice. Telling a kids that he/she needs to perform when they get the opportunity is too much pressure.

Thanks for listening,

And my sister Lisa’s response:

John,

Thanks so much for giving us feedback about our Ultimate Sports Parent Radio podcast. You're suggesting that some of our guests focus only on the coach's point of view--not on the parent's or athlete's.

You also suggest that parents need some help coping with bad coaches or coaches who make mistakes. I agree! As a longtime sports parent (our four kids are 8-18), my biggest problem has been dealing with coaches.

In our Ultimate Sports Parent workbook/CD program, we address this issue in detail. We even tell parents when they should try to find another coach. I can provide you with some of our suggestions, if you're interested.

I also addressed this issue in a story I wrote for the Christian Science Monitor called "Teaching Parents to Be Better Sports." That story is on our website,
http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/ under the articles section.

Again, thanks for listening and giving us feedback! Feel free to give us more suggestions.

Sincerely,

Lisa Cohn, award-winning sports parenting writer

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Sports Parenting is Hard - My Sister Knows Firsthand

Lisa Cohn here - Patrick's sister - from The Ultimate Sports Parent (www.youthsportspsychology.com). You may know that I’m a youth soccer coach and a sports mom to four young athletes aged 8 to 18. Our kids dance, skate, ski, run cross-country, and play soccer, Lacrosse, football and basketball.

As a sports parent, I’ve dealt with sports kids who:
* Are stars in practice but choke up during competition (and then get angry at themselves)
* Worry too much about what their coaches and teammates think of them.
* Don’t know how to communicate with coaches who give negative feedback, and
* Feel pressured to play—even when they are sick or injured.

These are just a few of the tough situations I’ve faced over the past 13 years, since our oldest first began playing sports at age 5. These are challenging situations, and I can tell you, the answers aren’t easy to come by!

For example, what do you say to a child or teen who regularly gets angry at himself for making mistakes during a game? We address this exact challenge for kids and sports parents in our new workbook program, The Ultimate Sports Parent.

Here’s a tip: You can help your child change his expectations about making mistakes. Sometimes kids try to be too perfect on the playing fields and expect to not make any mistakes. Modifying their expectations can help them perform without the burden of constant frustration.

Dealing with kids’ expectations is just one common challenge. Every day as sports parents, you face so many tough—and interesting—situations. Believe me, how you react to these issues is critical to your child’s self-confidence and success as an athlete! (I’ve made enough mistakes to know).

To answer the above questions and the many more questions sports parents ask themselves every day, I’ve teamed up with my brother, Dr. Patrick Cohn, a leading sports psychology expert.

We’ve just released a cutting-edge new program, "The Ultimate Sports Parent: A 14-Day Plan for Kids’ Success in Sports." In this program, we identify the top seven "inner game" challenges for sports parents and the top seven "mental game" challenges for kids.

We also explain how sports parents can:

* Decide how much pressure is too much pressure
* Use proven strategies to motivate their kids to play to their abilities
* Help young athletes stop worrying about what everyone thinks
* Guide children as they cope with frustration, anger and heartache in sports
* Deal with kids' difficult or negative coaches
* Teach kids no one is perfect in athletics, and
* Provide young athletes with the right kind of support after defeats or mistakes

Click here to read more about how to become The Ultimate Sports Parent:

Also, get to know us better by listening to ESPN’s “Sports Addicts’ Network” interview with me and Patrick by using the link below and scrolling to the interview.
http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/radio_show.php

Sincerely,

Lisa Cohn, Youth Sports Parenting Author
-----@----------------------------------------------
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS PARENT by Peak Performance Sports
www.youthsportspsychology.com

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Sports Parents Need Mental Training Too

Have I ever told you that I grew up in a sports-crazed family with five kids?

30 years ago when I played football, hockey, golf, and lacrosse year round, our dad was an enthusiastic sports parent. He often impeached us to play harder and live up to our abilities. He was quick to express his frustration with refs and coaches.

My dad (and mom) was so into our games, he couldn't restrain himself. That was both good and bad for the five of us. We liked all the attention, but often felt pressured to perform better - and better!

Now that I am a sports parent myself, I understand just how difficult it is for parents--like my dad--to figure out how best to support and help their kids in sports. And as a leading sports psychology expert, we've been studying this issue.

Sports parents today have many tough questions to answer: Should you push kids to try harder in sports when you know they have the athletic ability? What do you say or do after your child or teen's crushing defeat?

What to do if your daughter worries constantly about what others think of her sports performance? How do you behave on the sidelines when you are frustrated with coaches or refs?

These are hard questions, and the answers are not always obvious.

I have heard from many parents, like you, who are struggling with these issues - and many others. Now, my sister Lisa Cohn, an award- winning parenting writer, and I have teamed up to teach you how to boost kids' confidence and help you be a great sports parent!

We just released an innovative new program for sports parents, "The Ultimate Sports Parent: A 14-Day Plan for Kids" Success in Sports.'

Our cutting-edge CD/Workbook program tells parents just what to say and do to improve their kids' confidence, success and happiness in sports. It's based on 15 years of experience working with athletes and young athletes.

As Julia Dreyer, a sports mom to two champion equestrians says:

"As parents, we supply our sports kids with all the best in equipment

and coaches. But just having the right mindset using sports psychology
is the least expensive and most effective investment in them."

Click here to read read more about how parents can help kids in sports.

Thanks,

Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.,
Master Mental Game Coach

P.S. We recently re-launched our online mental training program with more programs and mental game tools to help you reach your potential. Grab your subscription today and get 30% off *The Ultimate Sports Parent* and other programs. Go here for a demo: Online Mental Training Program

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Youth Sports Tips: How Perfectionism Holds Back Kids in Sports

One of the biggest challenges for young athletes today: They try to be too perfect with their performance. They try to have the perfect game or match.

Don't get us wrong. There are some advantages to perfectionism. Perfectionist kids have a strong work ethic, are committed to goals, and are willing to learn and improve. These great traits often disguise this 'mental roadblock' to success.

Kids who try to be too perfect can undermine their performance in many ways. They often expect too much of themselves, are afraid of failing, feel anxious, are frustrated, and worry too much about results. This can stifle their talent.

For example, a perfectionist athlete unknowingly embraces very high expectations. When he does not achieve his expectations, he feels frustrated and thinks he's failed.

Below is a recent example from a baseball dad about his son:

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'My son is a good athlete who has always had good success.
However, he seems to focus on the negative, not the positive.
If he is practicing hitting, and doesn't make good contact,
after about three swings I hear 'I stink.' Unfortunately,
things tend to go down hill from there.'
~Baseball Dad
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Perfectionists think that maintaining strict expectations is a good thing. They believe that the only other option is to accept mediocrity, which they are not willing to do.


But we have a different take on this:

If kids cannot reach their expectations, then become frustrated and lose their composure, they won't achieve their full potential in sports.

In our new program designed just for sports parents, we teach you how to help your child cope with high expectations and perfectionism. You also learn 13 other important mental game lessons designed to help ensure kids' success in sports.

Our new program, 'The Ultimate Sports Parent: A 14-Day Plan for Kids' Success in Sports' teaches you to help your child perform without the burden of expectations and perfectionism.

We suggest that you grab your copy today at our special introductory price. But don't delay. The first printing will fly off the shelves when we release this program to the general public.

Read more about how to become The Ultimate Sports Parent:
http://youthsportspsychology.com/ultimate_sports_parent_workbook.php

THE ULTIMATE SPORTS PARENT by Peak Performance Sports
http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/

P.S. Stop guessing what to say to your child to boost her confidence and success. We teach you the 14 most important sports parenting lessons with our easy-to-follow workbook and CD program. Plus, you get four special bonuses all for a small investment of $89.00 for a limited time only!
Learn how sports parents can encourage their kids in sports