Youth Sports & The Mental Game

Mental Skills Improvement – mental toughness and “grit” is the most important life skill taught in youth sports.  The kids should be learning how to deal with adversity and struggling though the volatility that comes along with any skill development.  Remember learning how to drive a stick shift?  Or a new computer program?  Or have you ever taken a frustrating golf lesson where the progress learned yesterday suddenly disappears overnight?  Kids need to learn to “stick with it.” 

What is the coach’s approach to teaching mental toughness.  If a coach has a history of kids quitting than that is a problem.  It’s sad to say, but there are a few coaches who will intentionally drive out weaker-skilled kids rather than “coach them up.”  These are just lousy, selfish coaches more interested in a win-loss record instead of teaching.  Winless or undefeated.  It doesn’t matter. What life skill is being taught and is it being taught the correct way? 

The kids should be pushed and challenged but not to the point of quitting. You and the ex should be on the same page with this expectation of the head coach and his or her coaching staff.

...on "Grit" - check out the TED Talk on this topic. Nice 6 minute presentation.

More sports parenting tips available @

http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Offseason-Divorce-Sports-Insanely-ebook/dp/B00PLY51RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419864677&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+offseason