This is How Sports Kids Can Push Past Challenges
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
Release Date: 06/17/2025
Why High Sports Performance Can Lead to Poor Mental Health
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
High performance in sports doesn't necessarily translate into mental well-being, said Hania Taduran, a former Division I beach volleyball player and founder of the nonprofit Breaking Barriers, which aims to redefine the narrative about mental health in athletics. During her college career at the University of the Pacific, especially during COVID isolation, she and her teammates experienced mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and burnout. Fear of stigma, losing scholarships, or being seen as weak prevented many athletes from seeking help, said Taduran, who...
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The Consequences of High Costs and Expectations in Youth Sports
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
How are young athletes affected when their parents sink large amounts of money into youth sports and pile on expectations? was a sports columnist for The New York Times for 26 years, where he covered ten Olympics and countless NBA finals, World Series, Super Bowls and Final Fours. A sports parent, he's the author of , which was released in December. Araton warns sports parents about the pitfalls of spending too much money on youth sports--which creates pressure for sports kids. He also cautions parents to avoid heaping high expectations on sports kids, and tells stories about how he...
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Sports Kids Should Follow Their Dreams, Says Former Professional Golfer
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
Former professional golfer Jay Delsing, author of "You Wouldn’t Believe Me If I Told You," describes how he pursued his sports dream and says young athletes should also aim high, even if the odds of success are low. Growing up in a large, low-income, sports-oriented family, he was encouraged to believe he could achieve anything with hard work, he said. Although baseball was his first love, golf became his passion. “I wasn't smart enough to really be afraid. I mean, (people) would tell me all these odds,” Delsing said. “'Do you know that less than 1 % of everybody that plays golf...
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Help Sports Kids Overcome Performance Blocks
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
Young athletes who forget skills, freeze up or make avoidable mistakes and who can’t meet their practice performance during competitions are struggling with performance blocks. These blocks can be caused by excessive pressure, anxiety, worry, perfectionism or identity issues and self-judgement, said Albert Bramante, a psychology professor and author of “Rise Above the Script." To help kids overcome these performance blocks, parents can remind them that blocks do not reflect ability. “It's not their fault that this has happened. It's not an indication that you're a subpar athlete or...
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How Sports Kids Can Build Confidence Under Pressure
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
Andy Whittier knows how to cope with pressure. He transitioned from playing college football to representing the U.S. in the skeleton sport, a solo, head-first sled race down an icy track at speeds of up to 89 mph. At first, it was terrifying, he said. But with constant practice, he started making some “good, fast clean runs” and building confidence. Athletes can build confidence gradually through experience, discipline and stacking small wins over time. Repetition and practice are key, he said. Send episode ideas to Subscribe to this podcast on Learn more about host and writer...
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Motivate Sports Kids by Identifying Their Brain Type
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
P.J. Glassey, personal trainer, “biohacker” at , and author of Cracking Your Calorie Code, has identified 16 brain types that help determine how best to motivate athletes and boost their performance. Developed over a 5-year period, his 20-question brain type test–which combines psychology and fitness– helps people get fit with less reliance on willpower. Once Glassey identifies an athlete’s brain type, he provides motivation and fitness “hacks,” he said. To send podcast episode ideas, contact Subscribe to this podcast on Visit our Visit host Lisa Cohn at
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Overcoming Adversity in Youth Sports By Being "All In"
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
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. Send podcast episode ideas to Follow our ...
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When a Coach Seems to Pick Favorites in Youth Sports
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
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 , 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...
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Anxiety Strikes When Sports Kids Can't Stay in the Moment
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
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. with podcast episode ideas Subscribe and rate this podcast on Visit our youth sports psychogy
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The Benefits of Neuroscience-Based Visualization Feedback for Young Athletes
Building Confidence in Young Athletes
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 Submit podcast ideas . Subscribe and rate this podcast on Visit our youth sports psychology Read Lisa Cohn's sports parenting
info_outlineSports 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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