What To Say When Your Athlete Is Super Hard On Herself

Raising Elite Competitors

Are you often at a loss for what to say when your young athlete is overly critical of herself? It’s a common challenge faced by sports parents. In this episode, I share practical strategies for sports parents to effectively support and encourage their young athletes.
Here’s what’s covered in this episode:

• A member’s inspiring story of her daughter’s triumph in basketball.
• Understanding and empathizing with your daughter’s negative emotions.
• The impact of our responses, rooted in our own upbringing.
• Practical strategies for effective communication with your athlete.
• The importance of allowing space for emotional processing.
• How quick fixes can inadvertently lower long-term confidence.
• Empowering your athlete with mental training skills.
• Nurturing an environment for emotional intelligence and resilience.

For more insights on how to support your athlete when she’s hard on herself, listen to the full episode. You’ll gain a deeper understanding and more tools to help your young athlete thrive. Don’t miss out on this valuable conversation – tune in now!
🎧 Listen to the full episode here: Buzzsprout

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Helping athletes overcome self-criticism and build confidence. Learn more about the challenge of athletes being overly critical of themselves and how sports moms can help them navigate this experience.
[02:09] Helping athletes cope with negative emotions. Discover how parents’ own experiences with processing negative emotions may influence how they respond to their child’s emotions, and that this can lead to unintentionally reinforcing negative patterns.
[04:28] Supporting children’s emotional well-being. Learn more about the importance of allowing your daughter to process her emotions.
[09:13] Helping athletes process emotions after disappointment. The importance of recognizing and validating an athlete’s emotions, rather than dismissing or minimizing them.
[11:18] Supporting athletes through mental challenges. Strategies for athletes to communicate with their parents, as well as tips for moms of young athletes to help them navigate their daughter’s emotional struggles during athletic events.

Next Steps:

• Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter's Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do
• Visit our podcast website for more great episodes

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