Elite athletes from across the world competed in the 17th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships, and 14-year-old Ysabella won 8 medals in the junior division.

Her dad, Rex Cajanding, who was involved in her training, gives tips to sports parents about how to help kids attain success--without burning them out.

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It's a myth that participating in youth sports will build character in youing athletes, say Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski, authors of "Away Game: A Christian Parent's Guide to Navigating Youth Sports."

The problem: There are too many variables in youth sports to conclude that participating will build character. Referees are inconsistent. Coaches don't all have the same values.

To build character, adults and mature young athletes need to identify and act on character-building moments, they say.

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Forty-two percent of children report being bullied by coaches or physical education teachers. Common bullying programs don't work, said Tom Dahlborg, president and CEO of Dahlborg HealthCaring Leadership Group.

Bullying can make kids depressed, anxious and even suicidal.

Dahlborg is working to implement better anti-bullying programs, including creating a team culture that doesn't tolerate this behavior, establishing peer mentors and ensuring parents and adults are good role models.

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When athletes' identities are wrapped up in sports, they can experience pressure and high expectations.

What's more, they might become disappointed if they go to college and are no longer the stars they were on their high school teams, said Zedralyn Butler, author of The Mental State of Sports and a former Division 1 basketball player. They can also be disappointed or depressed if they are injured or can no longer play sports.

One suggestion from Butler: Athletes should try to rediscover the parts of their personalities they left behind when they became immersed in sports.

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Sports kids should push past challenges by focusing on incremental steps rather than the bigger end goal, said Dianette Wells, a world-class mountaineer, ultra-endurance athlete and author.

For example, to prepare for a hike in Malibu, Calif., she focused on improving her time by a minute each time she hiked.

“I just did it in incremental amounts so my mind could accept that and my body could deal with that. You don't necessarily have to look at the goal line, but just the little steps along the way that you can do to improve yourself,” she said.

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Young athletes realize a number of benefits when they embrace growth mindsets, said Iuri Melo, a youth sports coach, licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of SchoolPulise, which texts youth positive psychology statements to support their mental health.

These kids tend to be optimists who try harder, for longer periods of time and when things get difficult, he said.

Players with fixed mindsets tend to be negative, quit early and stop trying hard when they face challenges. But it's possible for kids to switch from having "fixed" mindsets to growth mindsets, with a little help, Melo said.

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Research shows that girls' identities can get too wrapped up in sports, said Marlene Holmes, a mental health advocate, sports social worker and regional director at Netball America.

Girls also grapple with low self-confidence and challenges visualizing themselves as being successful and leaders in their community.

The Netball American program teaches middle school girls and boys netball as a vehicle for improving their communication and teamwork skills and boosting their self confidence.

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Sabrina Yavil, sports mom to three boys and founder of Gryme, struggled with encouraging her kids to clean up after practices and games. What's more, the boys didn't seem to want to put time into practicing for games.

She began asking them to make their beds and put away their dishes in the morning and take showers after practices or games. She asked them to take more responsibility for getting their sports gear together before games.

The result, she said: As they became more disciplined and responsible, their confidence grew in and out of sports.

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