Coachology Podcast
Young Athlete's Sports Psychology
Coachology Podcast
Beyond the Game: How Sports Shape Young Athletes Psychologically
Every strikeout with bases loaded, every personal best in the pool, every moment of athletic triumph or defeat is shaping something far more important than a scorecard. It's building the emotional toolkit your child will carry for life.
The psychological development of athletes follows a fascinating trajectory that coaches, parents, and athletes themselves need to understand. When young athletes face competitive pressure, they're not just learning how to win—they're developing crucial emotional regulation skills in a structured environment where the stakes feel high yet remain within the safe boundaries of sport. Research shows these experiences create an accelerated course in resilience that transfers to every aspect of life.
Athletic identity formation represents another critical dimension of this journey. Many young competitors define themselves primarily through their sports—"I'm a basketball player" or "I'm a runner"—which can provide purpose but also creates vulnerability when performance falters or injuries occur. We explore the powerful shift that happens when athletes learn to connect their performance to personal values rather than external validation. As one young gymnast discovered after a career-altering injury, there's tremendous freedom in realizing "you are more than just your sport."
Perhaps most fascinating is watching motivation evolve from seeking trophies and praise to finding joy in the intrinsic rewards of athletic participation—mastering skills, belonging to a team, and pushing personal limits. This transformation creates athletes who are more consistent, resilient, and fulfilled. The psychological skills developed through sports—emotional regulation, identity development, and self-motivation—aren't just creating better athletes; they're creating better people equipped with life skills that last long after the final whistle blows.
All right, welcome everyone. If you're a parent you know maybe one of those parents on the sidelines at every game, or maybe you're a coach working with young athletes every day, or even if you're an athlete yourself, pushing your limits then this deep dive, this is for you.
Speaker 2:Definitely.
Speaker 1:It's for everyone who's a part of the going deep, really deep, into something. I think that's so crucial to that journey to sports. How athletes develop, you know psychologically, from when they first start playing sports as kids all the way to when they become adults.
Speaker 2:That's it. That's the core of what we're looking at, and we've got some great material here, research and stories that look at all those important psychological stages and milestones, the things you see and feel as athletes, parents and coaches at every level.
Speaker 1:The whole point of this, you know, it's not just to understand these stages, but to give you some real, actionable insights.
Speaker 2:Right, exactly. We want to help those parents out there to support their young athletes, the coaches, to create the best possible environment for these kids, not just for performance but for their overall well-being too, and for the athletes themselves. We want to give them tools to understand their own mental game so they can find more success and, you know just have a more fulfilling journey in sports.
Speaker 1:For sure. And to do that, to really get into it, we're focusing on two main things that kept coming up in the research.
Speaker 2:Okay great.
Speaker 1:First we'll unpack how athletes learn to manage their emotions. You know that whole roller coaster of feelings that comes with competition. How they develop that emotional maturity it's a big one and second. We're going to look at how being an athlete shapes your identity, your self-concept, how you see yourself, and we'll touch on how, that motivation to compete, how you set goals, how all that changes as you get older and more experienced.
Speaker 2:Sounds like a plan, let's dive in.
Speaker 1:Sounds good. So let's start with that first big piece, the emotional side of things. It's obvious, I think, to anyone who's been involved in sports that it's way more than just about physical ability.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, it's such an emotional experience. You know whether you're playing, coaching or just watching from the stands. It's intense.
Speaker 1:It is and that competitive environment. It's like this incredibly powerful training ground for young athletes, emotionally, it is.
Speaker 2:You know you're constantly dealing with these really strong feelings the thrill of winning, the disappointment of losing, those pregame jitters, the feeling of being part of a team. It's the whole spectrum pregame jitters, the feeling of being part of a team, it's the whole spectrum it is. And research, like some really interesting work by Gould and Udry back in 94, it really highlights how important sports are for developing, you know, that emotional regulation and that resilience that everyone's always talking about.
Speaker 1:Oh, interesting. So what did they find specifically?
Speaker 2:Well, their key finding was that being involved in sports, just participating it, creates this structured environment for young people to learn how to manage their emotions, to practice it in a way that very few other activities do. So it's like this accelerated course in a situation where the stakes feel high. But it's all you know, it's all contained within the world of sports.
Speaker 1:Right, it's a safe space to learn these skills. So can you give us, like, some concrete examples of how this emotional growth actually plays out for young athletes?
Speaker 2:Sure, let's say, you're a young baseball player, right, and you strike out with the bases loaded. It's a big moment. Well, that's a tough one yeah, your first reaction might be pure frustration, maybe even feeling like you let your team down. But with the right support from coaches and parents, you can learn from that experience what do you mean? Well. You can learn that setbacks are a part of the game. They happen to everyone. You learn to persevere, to not let those moments define you as a player or even as a person.
Speaker 1:Right, you got to shake it off and keep going.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And then, on the flip side, imagine that feeling you get as a swimmer when you finally break through and get that personal best time. It's huge.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's nothing like it.
Speaker 2:No, there isn't, and it's not just about the physical achievement. It builds pride in your dedication, in all the work you put in, and it shows you that direct link between effort and reward which is such a valuable lesson.
Speaker 1:And the best part is these aren't just skills you use on the field or in the pool. Yeah, that ability to handle stress, to bounce back from disappointment, to celebrate your wins you take that with you everywhere.
Speaker 2:That's the key. It's like building this emotional toolkit that you can use in every part of your life.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:And this other study by Weiss and Shomerton. They found that those emotional skills you get from sports, they actually make a big difference in your overall psychological maturity. So it's not just about becoming a better athlete, it's about becoming a more well-rounded, more resilient person.
Speaker 1:That's huge. I'm thinking about this young soccer player I coached a few years back. He was like 10 years old, super skilled, but man, he would just fall apart after loss tears, blaming himself the whole thing.
Speaker 2:It's tough at that age.
Speaker 1:It is. His parents were really worried, but over a couple of seasons we worked with him to focus on what he could control. You know his effort, his attitude. His parents were on board too. They really helped. They stopped focusing so much on the score and started praising his hard work, his improvement and slowly you can see him changing. He still felt disappointed when they lost, of course, but he learned to recover faster, to look at what he could learn from each game.
Speaker 2:So he developed that coping mechanism.
Speaker 1:He did, and he started coming back to practice with more enthusiasm.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It was a really good example of how you can nurture that emotional resilience you know over time.
Speaker 2:Absolutely those tough moments. They're like gold for young athletes. They're learning experiences. Okay, so we've talked about the emotional side. Now let's move to something else that's central to this whole athletic development thing Identity how being an athlete becomes part of who you are.
Speaker 1:Right. It's like if you ask a lot of young athletes to describe themselves, one of the first things they'll say is I'm a basketball player or I'm a runner.
Speaker 2:You got it.
Speaker 1:And our sources. They point to Brewer's work, which talks about how all those expectations and pressures that come with sports, especially the pressure to be successful, that can have a big impact on a young athlete's developing identity, their self-esteem.
Speaker 2:For sure, because there's this feeling that you need to live up to what everyone else expects, what they think a good athlete should be.
Speaker 1:And achieving a big goal in your sport, scoring the winning goal, setting a new personal record that does amazing things for your confidence. It makes you feel good about yourself. But Cote and Virima, they have this really interesting perspective. They say it's crucial for athletes, as they mature, to connect their performance to their own values, not just to what other people think.
Speaker 2:Absolutely your own internal compass, what's important to you that needs to guide you.
Speaker 1:So, instead of thinking I'm good because I won, it's more like I worked hard. I saw progress and that's what matters to me. That aligns with my values of dedication and perseverance.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's a much stronger foundation for your self-worth, because the wins, they aren't always going to be there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so true. And if your whole identity is wrapped up in being an athlete and then you get injured or you go through a slump, it can be really tough to handle. And then you get injured or you go through a slump, it can be really tough to handle. You can feel lost, like a part of you is missing.
Speaker 2:It's like you don't know who you are anymore.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we knew this incredibly talented young gymnast and she was totally dedicated to her sport. Gymnastics was everything to her. It was her whole identity.
Speaker 2:I see where this is going.
Speaker 1:Then she had this really bad injury and she couldn't compete for a long time. It took a while, but she eventually started exploring other interests, like photography and volunteering at an animal shelter, and she started to see that she was more than just a gymnast.
Speaker 2:She expanded her world.
Speaker 1:She did, and it was hard, but it was so important for her to go through that she realized that her identity, who she was, was so much bigger and richer than just her athletic achievements. For anyone listening, for any athlete who's going through something similar, remember that you are more than just your sport. There are so many other sides to you.
Speaker 2:That's such a powerful message and it's so true. Your identity is multifaceted. There are so many dimensions to who you are. Okay, so we've covered emotions, identity. Let's shift gears a bit and talk about what drives athletes motivation. Why do young people get into sports in the first place and how does that change over time?
Speaker 1:Well, when you're younger, it's often about those external things, right, you know, getting praise from your coach, here in the crowd here, getting that medal or trophy. You're looking for approval from the adults and kids around you.
Speaker 2:It makes sense You're looking for validation, but sometimes that can lead to a kind of superficial understanding of what it means to achieve something you start to measure your success by what other people think Right.
Speaker 1:But as athletes grow and mature there's often a shift. They start to develop this intrinsic motivation. They start to find joy in the sport itself.
Speaker 2:Like you know, that feeling of mastering a new skill or the sense of belonging you get from being part of a team.
Speaker 1:Or just the pure excitement of pushing your body, seeing what you can do.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and when you're driven by that passion, by that love for the sport itself, you're so much more likely to stick with it, to keep learning and improving, even when things get tough.
Speaker 1:Even when you're not winning all the time.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and there's a lot of research on this, like Desi and Ryan's work. They found that intrinsic motivation isn't just about staying involved longer. It's also linked to getting better, enjoying yourself more and just being happier overall. When you love what you're doing, it shows.
Speaker 1:And that love for the sport. It becomes a bigger part of who you are. It's not just something you do, it's part of your identity, but in a much deeper way. I remember this track athlete I coached when he was younger. All he cared about was beating his rival in every race. That was his only motivation.
Speaker 2:So totally external. He wasn't focused on himself.
Speaker 1:Nope. But we worked with him, helped him set goals that were about his own times, his own progress, and over time you could see his motivation changing.
Speaker 2:He was becoming more internally driven.
Speaker 1:Yes, he still loved the competition, but he also found satisfaction in pushing his own limits, in seeing himself get better.
Speaker 2:He found that internal reward that's so great to see.
Speaker 1:It was. He became a much more consistent athlete, and he was more resilient too, because he wasn't letting his rival's performance dictate how he felt about himself.
Speaker 2:That's a perfect example of how powerful that shift in motivation can be. So, to bring it all together, for the parents, coaches and athletes out there, the psychological development of a young athlete. It's complex. It's about emotional growth. It's about building your identity. It's about what motivates. Complex, it's about emotional growth. It's about building your identity.
Speaker 1:It's about what motivates you. It's all connected Absolutely. And learning to navigate challenges, those setbacks, both in competition and just in life, that's what builds resilience, that strong sense of self, that internal drive that keeps you going.
Speaker 2:And it's so important for parents and coaches to create that supportive environment, that space where young athletes feel comfortable expressing their emotions, where they know their worth isn't tied to winning or losing, and where their passion for their sport is celebrated.
Speaker 1:Because, at the end of the day, the sources we looked at, they all agree that this journey it's about so much more than trophies and medals. Trophies and medals it's about creating future leaders, innovators, resilient people who've learned these essential life skills like teamwork, discipline, perseverance, how to manage their emotions, through their experiences in sports.
Speaker 2:Those are skills they'll use their whole lives.
Speaker 1:Exactly. It's not just about creating better athletes, it's about creating better people, well-rounded people.
Speaker 2:Couldn't have said it better myself.
Speaker 1:So for everyone listening, think about what we've talked about today, those stages of development, emotional growth, identity, motivation. Think about your own experiences, what you've seen, and ask yourself what small but significant changes can you make to support this journey, to create a more holistic, more fulfilling athletic experience for yourself or for the athletes in your life?
Speaker 2:It's a great question to ask yourself. It's an ongoing process, this learning and growth, and there's always something new to discover. When it comes to the connection between sports and psychology, that's right.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us Thanks everyone.