Video: 3 Tips for Handling Performance Slumps

A slump in performance is discouraging, but a normal occurrence for young athletes. Learn three strategies for handling those moments so they don’t become a lasting problem.

By David Benzel
On a list of factors that impact the youth sports experience, perspective is at the top. How you and your young athlete view victories, challenges, and losses determine whether or not it feels like a roller coaster or a smooth sailing vessel.

It’s been said that, “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” The person who said it is a young girl who looked a monster shark in the face as it bit off her arm. The courage she chooses every day is inspiring.

Distractions can seem like the enemy of focus – and there seems to be an unending supply of them during sports competitions. Even if external distractions such as noisy fans, bad weather, or a crying baby are limited, athletes still need a way to quiet the internal distractions. These might include anxious thoughts about performance or fear regarding an opponent.

Commitment doesn’t always come naturally, especially when something gets old… when it’s no longer NEW or EASY. So we have to TEACH our kids about commitment and its value.

You can almost hear the wheels of fun come to a screeching halt when a young athlete experiences his/her first performance anxiety. As parents and coaches, we know that the heart-pounding and stomach-churning experience of competition is not a one-time deal.

Everyone knows about the importance of GRIT for achieving great things, but how do you help your children grow grit. This short video explores two strategies for parents who hope to instill this quality in their children.

By David Benzel
Fear always comes from negative thoughts. When an athlete chooses to believe in herself, and authors positive affirming thoughts every day in practice, fear is edged out and finds no place to dwell on game day.

The journey you have chosen requires you to blaze a trail, or follow in the steps of others who
have gone before you. Either way you must stay on your chosen path in spite of the various
forks and tributaries that might cause you to stray.

You are not your mind. Your brain is capable of spitting out 60,000 thoughts a day with lightning fast speed, but that’s not who you are. Thoughts come to you faster than you can choose them sometimes, and that means some of them do not actually serve you well.