Do your young athletes seek approval from their peers and coaches in order to feel confident? Kids today seek what we call social approval: They want to be accepted, respected and liked by others.
To help your young athletes who worry about what others think, ask them to first recognize that they harbor such worries. They should then regroup and tell themselves that it doesn’t matter what others think. Next, they should change their focus and think about what they need to do now to get the job done. That means thinking about what they can control, such as their work ethic, their attitude, and their ability to improve.
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