Archive for the ‘Youth Sports Articles’ Category

Almost every athlete experiences nervousness and/or anxiety about their performance from time to time. What separates the elite athletes from everyday players is the ability to control and even use this nervous energy for their benefit. This, however, is not an easy task to accomplish. “CALM DOWN!” … We have all heard this from coaches, parents, and teammates before or during a performance where it is evident that anxiety has overtaken our control. But this is easier said than done. Anxiety has potentially detrimental physiological effects on the human body. These effects can easily inhibit athletes from achieving their […]

Self-efficacy is defined as the belief in one’s ability to execute certain actions in order to achieve a specific outcome. This theory, proposed by Albert Bandura, plays a significant role for athletes and athletic performance. As coaches, if we can figure out how to nurture our athlete’s self-efficacy, then we can begin to help them unlock their full athletic potential. The question is, how do we build practice plans and teach in a way that builds this self-efficacy? Fortunately, there are several sources of self-efficacy and examples of how to incorporate them into your practices. Below I have listed […]