Building Confidence in Young Athletes

Ultimate Sports Parent Video interviews Ryan, a division1 wrestler, about his parents' influence on him throughout his life.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Sean Brawley, a former top-150 world tennis pro and an expert in the "inner game" coaching philosophy. He discusses the inner game of sports parenting, which emphasizes open communication – how to talk so kids will listen and how to listen so kids will talk. Mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn provides commentary.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Steve Horan, founder of sportsparent.net and an expert in community health improvement. He asks the question: With the numbers of kids involved in youth sports – 30 to 40 million at any given time – what are we as parents and coaches trying to accomplish and what is the educational purpose of sports? He explains how the end product of youth sports is to enhance life skills in order to help young athletes become happy and successful adults. Youth sports can teach skills in five areas of youth development: how to be mentally and physically healthy, how to have an ethical and competitive character, how to be a self-initiator, how to be part of a team, and finally how to lead.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio Interviews Michael Sachs, Professor of Kinesiology at Temple University and author of the book, “The Total Sports Experience for Kids: A Parents’ Guide to Success in Youth Sports.” He discusses the importance of how parents and coaches define success in young athletes. As opposed to defining success on winning and losing, he argues that putting forth 100% effort and having fun are the most critical aspects to success for young athletes. It is the responsibility of the coaches and parents to create a positive environment that encourages kids to participate, push themselves, and have fun in order to optimize the sports experience.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Fred Engh, founder and CEO of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, and author of the book, "Why Johnny Hates Sports". He discusses how youth sports programs remain largely unchecked, with no certification programs, coaches training, or established parent codes of conduct. He argues that the purpose of youth sports is not to win or make the all-star team, but to teach kids valuable life lessons of honesty, good-sportsmanship, and fair play for ethical and social development. His organization is reaching out to local youth sports facilities in order to develop fair leagues, good coaches, and supportive parents that give kids what they are looking for most: to have fun.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Dan Doyle, founder and executive director of the Institute for International Sport and the co-author of the Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting about how to develop a sports parenting philosophy. He talks about how parents can help kids develop self-reliance and self-respect, when to call the coach—and when not to call the coach. He explains the difference between being involved in sports and over-involved. Mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn offers commentary.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Michael Wood, chief fitness officer at KoKo Fitness and father of 7th Grade Juliea, who is a starter for her high school basketball team. Wood talks about his daughter’s mental game challenges and strengths. Mental Game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn talks about classic challenges for kids who play “up.”

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Joe Bouffard, active director of

Youth Football USA, about the benefits of trained youth coaches. He says

that it's hard, especially in football, to find coaches who can teach the

technical sport. He also stresses the importance of finding coaches who

have a teaching philosophy and want to instill in young athletes a love and passion for sports. Mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn provides commentary.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Larry Lauer, Ph.D., director of

coaching education and development for the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, about how parents can strike a balance between motivating their kids in sports and pressuring them. His comments are based on a study funded by the US Tennis Society that applies to parents and kids in all sports, he says. Mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn provides commentary.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Simon Mulverhill, executive director of Kids Sports Network--which provides certification programs for volunteer coaches—about how parents can best prepare themselves to coach young athletes. He explains why volunteer coaches should understand their reasons for coaching, how they can boost their knowledge of specific sports, the importance of teaching life skills--and why volunteer coaches may need insurance. Mental game expert Dr. Patrick Cohn provides commentary.