• Overcoming Adversity in Youth Sports By Being "All In"
    Oct 6 2025

    When sports kids face challenges such as injuries or mistakes, they're more likely to overcome them by being "all in"--committed to working hard and improving in their sport.

    Chad Dunn, CEO of Move Performance Center and former BMX racer, asks kids facing adversity, "Do you really want to do this?" The right answer, he says, is "Coach, I'm all in."

    A big challenge for sports kids is comparing themselves to others, especially when they focus too much on what other athletes are posting on social media, he says. His advice: Stop making comparisons.

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    20 mins
  • When a Coach Seems to Pick Favorites in Youth Sports
    Sep 24 2025

    Parents are very emotional about their kids' youth sports experience, and they're pouring a lot of money into youth sports. Because of these factors, they may feel that coaches favor other players when their kids aren't getting the playing time they want, said Jen Fry, a TEDx speaker, owner of JenFryTalks and sports geographer, which means means she studies how geographical factors, like terrain, influence which sports are played in specific areas.

    When are coaches playing favorites? How should coaches address kids' weaknesses? Does it make sense to favor young athletes who are coachable? Should parents talk to coaches about favoritism?

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    26 mins
  • Anxiety Strikes When Sports Kids Can't Stay in the Moment
    Sep 10 2025

    Teen athletes experience anxiety when they can’t be in the moment, said Kate Kelley-Schneider, a psychotherapist and sports mindset coach at Pure Health Center and Pure Sports Mindset.

    They are either stuck replaying a mistake over and over or looking to the future and worrying about the score.

    “They'll check out of the game from a mental perspective. That then shows up physically," she said.

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    20 mins
  • The Benefits of Neuroscience-Based Visualization Feedback for Young Athletes
    Aug 26 2025

    What if young athletes could practice visualization and then receive feedback in real time that improves their performance? Konstantin Sonkin, a neuroscientist and founder of i-Brain Tech, uses neuroscience-based technology to help athletes boost focus and decision-making.

    Learn more about Dr. Sonkin at i-Brain.Tech

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    24 mins
  • His Daughter Won 8 Medals in Dragon Boat Racing. Here's His Advice
    Aug 12 2025

    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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    25 mins
  • Do Youth Sports Really Build Character in Athletes?
    Aug 4 2025

    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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    21 mins
  • Why Youth Sports Bullying Programs Don't Work & How to Change Them
    Jul 23 2025

    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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    33 mins
  • When an Athletic Identity Hurts Kids in Sports
    Jul 2 2025

    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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    24 mins