Building Confidence In Young Athletes1

Kids and teens are getting sick from lack of exercise and outdoor play, says Dr. Dan O'Neill, an orthopedic surgeon, sports psychologist and author of "Survival of the Fit." Screen time and processed foods are the culprit. Twenty percent of kids are obese and many of them are suffering from ailments like diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol--adult illnesses.What can parents do to keep their kids healthy?

How does community help sports kids build confidence? V.J. Stanley, a coach, former teacher and author of numerous youth sports books explains how feeling supported by community boosts kids' confidence and performance. Equal playing time for kids 10 and under is just one way to build this community, he says. He also addresses the importance of trust, intuition and peace of mind in kids' sports.

Chasta Hamilton, author of "Trash the Trophies: How to Win Without Losing Your Soul" was seeing "red flags" In the dance scene, so decided to offer young dancers an alternative that feeds their souls. She instructs students to focus on the process, give back to their communities and embrace collaboration, among other issues. She tells Ultimate Sports Parent Radio how kids have grown from this program--and how kids in sports in general can benefit from this approach.

What's the link between having safe equipment--such as helmets--and feeling confident? Mike Oliver, executive director of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) says that kids are more likely to feel confident if their equipment is safe. But sometimes, expensive equipment will make them too cocky, and vulnerable to injuries.

Rebekah Roulier--director of The Champions Network and a former NCAA Division 1 student athlete who has a degree in counseling--explains how coaches can help sports kids with mental health challenges, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. She also addresses the mental health impacts of systemic racism in youth sports.

Christian Buck, author of The Sport of School and a performance coach who has worked with college teams at Brown, Harvard and Yale, talks about the importance of creating a vision and setting goals in youth sports--and how these ideas can help kids in school. He also provides tips for helping kids stay in engaged in sports during the COVID-19 crisis.

Kate T Parker. a professional photographer and New York Times bestselling author of The Heart of a Boy and Strong is the New Pretty talks about girls and body image. How can parents help girls worry less about how they look in sports? She also addresses what she sees as the top challenge for girls in sports: how their parents communicate with them. Parker is an ironman and former collegiate (and current rec) soccer player.

Christie Pearce Rampone, a two-time Women's World Cup champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and former captain of the US Women’s National Soccer Team teams up with sports neuropsychologist and brain health expert Dr. Kristine Keane to provide tips to sports parents. In this podcast episode, the pair, authors of “Be All In: Raising Kids for Success in Sports and Life,” address topics that include alleviating youth sports pressures, dealing with perfectionists, helping kids learn from mistakes and why to avoid specialization.

Brian Levenson, a mental performance coach and author of "Shift Your Mind," describes helpful mindsets in youth sports, including "uncomfortable in preparation, comfortable in performance" and "selfish in preparation, selfless in performance." His aim is to help athletes, teams and organizations unlock their potential by understanding and embracing these mindsets. The key is to focus on "strong skills," including communication, resilience and teamwork, he says.

Adelaide Goodeve began coaching athletes of all ages in a very roundabout way. When she was struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome, she learned how to retrain her brain, and in doing so, became a triathlete. Now Adelaide helps pro and amateur athletes cut minutes off their time by finding performance solutions using mindset strategies & neuro performance technology. With sports kids, she focuses on using visualization and other strategies to improve their confidence.

Amy Bass, author of "One Goal: A Coach, a Team and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together,” relates how refugees from Somalia brought soccer to the town of Lewiston, Maine and changed it in remarkable ways. The soccer coach listened to the refugee community and showed empathy to make this transition happen, says Bass, a professor of sport studies at Manhattanville College. She touches on the importance of athletes serving as role models in troubling times.

How can parents and coaches help girls bullied in sports? Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Aureen Monteiro, author of the upcoming book "Rise Higher," which aims to empower women to overcome challenges and achieve their dreams. She gives tips for helping girls who are bullied, based in part on experience helping her daughter who plays sports in India.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio talks with Jeremy Bhandari, the 23-year-old author of "Trust The Grind," a new book about how world-class athletes got to the top. A former researcher for ESPN, Bhandari reveals what he discovered interviewing sixteen athletes and how his book applies to young athletes.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio once again interviews Kelly Gray, this time about the benefits of kids embracing a growth mindset in sports. He also provides parents tips about what they should be looking for while kids aren't playing sports during the COVID-19 crisis. Parents should be sure to focus on what kids are passionate about--and not what they've "had" to do in sports. Gray is a former professional soccer player who has worked for many years with youth sports organizations. He’s founder of Kelly Gray Sports and South Bay Football Club.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Kelly Gray, a former professional soccer player who has many years experience working with youth sports organizations. He’s founder of Kelly Gray Sports and South Bay Football Club. His message: Kids shouldn't view youth sports as a job. They shouldn't be pressured by parents. He gives tips for ensuring young athletes have more fun and reap benefits long-term.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Brendan Kitson, co-founder of the City Schools Sports Association of New York City, a sports league in its first year serving the city's schools, primarily located in under-served areas. He describes the challenges of young athletes in these areas with fewer opportunities.

It’s still possible for kids to stay involved in sports during COVID-19 isolation, says Spencer Gordon, partnership manager for the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Portland in this podcast episode. PCA, which aims to create better athletes and people, has launched a “Life as a Team Sport” campaign, which includes many online resources for helping young athletes tune up their mental game skills. It includes Zoom meetings and Facebook Live events that feature well-known athletes. Gordon gives parents tips for keeping kids engaged in sports while they're in isolation. He focuses on the potential to boost kids' mental games during this time period.

Jeff Long, founder of Healthy Kids Running Series and a former Division 1 runner, launches an online version of his program. Kids do races individually in safe places and share videos, statistics and photos online. He tells Ultimate Sports Parent Radio about the benefits of kids continuing to move during the COVID-19 crisis.

Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interviews Brad Donohue, a psychology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and expert on sports psychology and wellness. He describes why athletes should break certain "mental game" guidelines and shares information about a study during which coaches and peers said a series of motivational phrases to athletes during practice.

In this Ultimate Sports Parent Radio interview, Christian Lavers, president, Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), says that for all athletes, confidence comes and goes. He gives tips about how young athletes can build up their confidence when it drops.