Building Confidence in Young Athletes

In the first of a series of podcasts in which mental game expert Dr. Patrick Cohn speaks directly to young athletes about mental game issues, he tells kids how to think about warm ups. They're not meant to be a competition to win.

Kirk Mango is a former Division I National Champion, 3-Time All-American, 3-Time Hall of Fame Athlete, and was selected in 2009 as #8 on Northern Illinois University's Top 50 Huskies of All-Time list. In high school, however, his coach told him he wouldn't make it. Mango, who says he was a mediocre gymnast at the time, set his sights on become a state champion--in 10 months.

What choices did Mango make, what mental mindset did he embrace to make it to the top--and even publish a book, "Becoming a True Champion?"

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Joan Steidinger, author of "Sisterhood in Sports: How Female Athletes Collaborate and Compete," about why girls take part in sports, what they want to get out of it, and how parents can support them.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Cris Dobrosielski, an author, motivational speaker, fitness expert and longtime youth sports coach about a new George Washington University study that identifies the four keys to keeping kids in youth sports.

How can sports kids overcome challenges like perfectionism? How can they think in ways that help them feel like they're breaking through barriers to confidence and performance?Gene Jones, a former athlete, sports coach, and former sports commentator explains how breakthrough thinking can help young athletes.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Dr. Christopher Stankovich, Ph.D.,

a professional athletic counselor, about how more and more kids are

prescribed medications for mental health issues and how the medications

affects kids' mental game. Stankovich, who believes the medications are

over-prescribed, says that, among other things, the meds hurt undermine

kids' creativity and spontaneity--essential traits in youth sports and

life.

Kids with anxiety often experience higher levels of anxiety in high-pressure sports situations.Dr. Jeremy Pettit, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology in the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University, gives tips for helping these kids.

How can sports kids who've just joined a team prove to the coach and team

mates that they can make an impact? In this interview, Audrey, mother of

Bjorn, explains how her son joined a AAA team and lost confidence when the

coach didn't play him enough and the kids didn't pass to him. But all that

changed.

How can sports kids who've just joined a team prove to the coach and team

mates that they can make an impact? In this interview, Audrey, mother of

Bjorn, explains how her son joined a AAA team and lost confidence when the

coach didn't play him enough and the kids didn't pass to him. But all that

changed.

How do you shift the expectations of sports kids, especially in urban areas, who don't expect much from themselves? In this fascinating interview with Ultimate Sports Parent Radio, Eric DeMeulenaere, a Clark University professor and former soccer coach and author of "Reflections From the Field,” tells how. He also identifies traits of the best coaches.