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Positive Self-Talk for Sports Kids
By admin | April 1, 2009
“Sports kids often fall into a pattern of negative self-talk. This
means that their “inner dialogue” – or what they tell themselves
while they’re playing or after making mistakes – is often negative.
For example, they might tell themselves they’re too small, too slow,
or not strong enough to be good athletes.
They might tell themselves that everyone hates them. Just after a
poor pass, they might tell themselves the pass was a horrible one.
After missing a putt, they might tell themselves they’re the worst
putter in the world. This pattern of negative self-talk undermines
kids’ confidence and success in sports. It makes it hard for them to
reach their potential.
You, as parents and coaches, can help your child or teen overcome
this negative pattern. To do this, however, you have to help him
change the way he thinks. Begin by identifying your athlete’s
positive attributes. These could include:
*Always attending practice
*Being physically fit
*Being a good team player
*Being a smart player
*Having good court vision
*Being viewed as highly coachable
*Having natural talent
Step one: Help your young athlete identify the “negative” things he
tells himself. List these after games.
Step two: Ask him to banish such thoughts from his mind by replacing
them with positive self-talk such as “I am a great putter, stay
patient.”
Step three: Ask him to list his positive qualities, and offer to add
the list that you created. He could also list his positive sports
experiences. Let’s say he played with all his heart one day, and it
felt really great. What was he thinking that day that allowed him to
play that way?
Step four: Encourage him to hold these positive thoughts and feelings
in his mind while he’s performing, practicing or thinking about
sports. When negative self-talk creeps into his mind, especially
after mistakes, ask him to replace it with positive self-talk.
He might also tell himself he’s physically fit, coachable, or
possesses some of the other positive qualities he identified.
Remember: Be careful about what you say after a game or practice. He
might adopt your negative statements as his own negative “internal
chatter.” He needs to keep the chatter positive!”
Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Mental Training Expert
& Lisa Cohn, Youth Sports Parenting Author
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