Do You Worry About What Coach and Parents Think? Many athletes we work with on the mental game worry too much about what others think about them. These athletes have a desire for approval from others, such as teammates, coaches, parents, and friends. If you (or your athletes) want to please others, you have a
Do You Make Comparisons to Other Athletes? Do you (or your athletes) make comparisons to other athletes that might be bigger, stronger, or more talented than you? Do you worry when your opponents have more wins or a better record? One athlete wrote, “I focus too much on other competitors instead of myself. I start
Sport Parents: Do You Pressure Your Young Athletes? Youth coach Doug Donaldson says he knows intuitively when one of his young athletes feels pressured by a parent’s expectations. And he also knows the problems such well-meaning expectations can create in young athletes. For example, one of his player’s mothers wants the child to play goalie
In this week’s sports psychology podcast, Dr. Cohn helps an athlete who focuses on her competitor. Sports psychology expert, Dr. Patrick Cohn helps athletes stop worrying about their competitors. Dr. Cohn answers the following mental game question: “I am being plagued by a fellow competitor. She has burrowed herself into my head, and I can’t
Are You Making Any of These ‘Deadly’ Mistakes? Are you so concerned about what others might be thinking about your game that you get distracted when you play? For many athletes, a huge source of pregame anxiety or worry comes from the need to seek “approval” from others. If this is you, you might have
Athletes And Social Approval One big challenge for many athletes today is the fact that they worry so much about what others think when they perform that it becomes a huge distraction. I must first say that it is important to care about other people. However it becomes unhealthy when athletes worry too much about