build confidence tips

Sports for kids isn’t like it was in my day! I’m Craig Sigl, the Mental Toughness Trainer for Youth Sports. Today, there is travel teams, select teams, showcases, try outs for kids as young as 8 years old. There is far more pressure on kids today playing sports.

More than ever it is crucial that parents know how to ensure that their children in sports build life skills and build their confidence through competition. Here is the first video from my 3 part series: Kids and sports success principles for parents

As parents and coaches there are some simple, but critical things you can do for your kids in sports that will make a huge difference in their happiness and success in playing their sport.

1. Encouragement I put encouragement first, because this is by far the most important need of any kids in sports. You cannot over do encouragement. The problems start when parents and coaches give praise only after good performances and call that encouragement. All that does is give the child the idea that your acceptance and approval is dependent on a good performance.

What parents need to do is simply express their joy and excitement about watching their athlete play their sport. For example, instead of saying, “Way to hit that home run”, what would be more encouraging would be to say something like, “I loved the confidence I saw when you were hitting the ball up there.” Notice that you can say that last sentence even if your kid struck out!

2. It’s NOT about the winning First question to ask yourself is, “why do you want your kid to play sports?” Most parents and coaches agree it is for them to have fun and build life skills. Your kids can accomplish these two things whether they win or not and there is a case to be made they learn more from losing.

3. Good nutrition Unfortunately, this is one of the most ignored areas of youth sports. Your kids are out there moving their body and sweating. It is extremely important to keep them hydrated with water, not those florescent sports drinks.

Also avoiding sugary snacks that spike their blood sugar then bring them crashing down. Watch for our next video in the series called How Parents Can Best Support Their Kids Playing Sports! What are some of the things you do to make sure your kids have a positive experience playing their sport? Love to hear your tips below…

build confidence tips
Welcome to the Winner’s Circle! Craig Sigl, The Mental Toughness Trainer