Fear of Failure – Part I
Fear of failure is the single most common cause of performance difficulties for the young athletes who come to me for help. Whether they experience low confidence and extreme negativity, pre-competitive anxiety, a preoccupation with results, or severe self-criticism, in most cases, when we dig deep enough, we discover a profound fear of failure at […]
Read MorePlacebos Can Make You Better
There is a great article in The New York Times describing how placebos can enable athletes to perform better. The argument is that believing that a pill or shot will boost performance (when it really just saline) causes us to tap into a reserve of energy (mental and physical) that propels us faster and longer. […]
Read MoreIs Praise Bad for Young Athletes?
Please be prepared. I’m going to go on a bit of rant now. I just can’t hold it in any longer. I see parents doing this constantly and it’s killing me because they know not what they do and they are actually hurting their children’s personal and athletic development. What am I referring to? It’s […]
Read More26% of Parents Believe Their Children Will Become Pro Athletes
I was recently interviewed by the Toronto Sun about a remarkable statistic: 26% of parents believe their children will be professional athletes. Remarkable because, as the article notes, the chances are actually infinitesimal.
Read MoreBrutally Honest Take on Sport Parenting
As you may know, I’m pretty darned outspoken about parents of young athletes who are seduced by our hypercompetitive youth sports culture in which parents become overly invested (in terms of time, $$, and ego) in their children’s sports participation. But nothing I have ever written is as brutally honest as this article written by […]
Read MoreThe Challenges of Sports Parenting
I was recently interviewed by a Canadian parenting magazine (thus the title’s reference to Sidney Crosby) on the challenges of being a sports parents. There are some interesting perspectives that the parents of young athletes will appreciate and learn from.
Read MoreWhat it Takes to be a Champion
Jamie Astle, the father of the late racer Bryce Astle, recently described the qualities that he believed would have made Bryce a ski racing champion. His list is formidable and very consistent with my own ideas on the topic. Here’s the list: He embraced a positive attitude and was always able see the good […]
Read MoreInterview on Endurance Sport Psychology
I was recently interviewed by TrailRunningNation.com on the psychology of endurance sports, including trail running. I offer a lot of practical ideas on how to be prepared, feel confident, focus and deal with the pain of an endurance event.
Read MorePGA Star Jordan Spieth Didn’t Specialize Early
On the heels of my recent post in which I explore the risks and benefits of young athletes specializing early in a sport, a recent article in the New York Times reveals that Jordan Spieth, the PGA’s #1 ranked golfer (at age 22) was not born and raised to be a professional golfer. As the article […]
Read MoreWhen Should Your Young Athlete Specialize?
This question torments every parent who wants to support their children’s efforts as they pursue their own personal greatness in a sport. It is also one of the most frequently asked questions I get from parents of young athletes. This question isn’t just one of professional interest to me. Rather, it’s personal for two reasons. […]
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