Low-Stress Success

Many parents get their children involved in youth sports so they can have fun. But a good time can quickly turn into a bad one when pressure on youth athletes causes them to feel stress.

Sometimes the stress comes from the outside when children feel like their parents or coaches expect a win. Other times, pressure can be internal, brought on by the athletes themselves. This can cause fear and anxiety, negatively affecting your child before, during and after competition.

Fear of failure is one of the most prevalent stressors in sports. Liberty Mutual Insurance Play Positive™ and our partner Positive Coaching Alliance encourage you to remind your child that the sport is about more than just winning. Supporting your children and doing all you can to avoid instilling negative thoughts or emotions lets them focus on striving to compete well. Using the simple phrases below before a competition will help:

“I love you”

“Compete hard”

“Have fun.”

After some time, stressed athletes can become resentful or decide to quit playing their sport entirely to avoid these negative feelings.

It’s important for your youth athlete to find ways to de-stress, calm down or “zone in” on their own before, during and after a competition. This will help avoid a sense of negative pressure and funnel that energy positively toward their performance.

A non-attachment approach is a way youth athletes can learn to perform their best when it matters most. Non-attachment is having the ability to detach yourself from the outcome of a performance and just focus on executing during competition. Youth athletes must learn to define themselves by more than just the results of the competition This can be reinforced after the competition when you have the chance to talk to your athletes about their performances.

Making comments such as: “I love watching you compete!” or “You looked like you were having so much fun out there!” will remind your child that the sport isn’t all about winning or losing.

At home you can help your children relieve some of their stress by making sure they are managing their time well and getting enough rest. Both are key elements in a healthy low-stress lifestyle.

When children learn to enjoy sports for their own sake, and their goal becomes to do their best rather than trying to be the best, they will find it easier to overcome stress before, during and after the competition.

Learn more about how to be a Positive Sport Parent on PlayPositive.com

At Liberty Mutual Insurance, we constantly look for ways to celebrate the countless acts of sportsmanship and integrity shown by people every day. We created Play Positive™, powered by Positive Coaching Alliance, as part of this belief to help ensure that our kids experience the best that sports have to offer in environments that promote and display good sportsmanship. We believe kids can learn valuable life lessons when coaches and parents come together to support winning on and off the slopes.

In an effort to benefit millions of youth athletes, parents and coaches, this article is among a series created exclusively for partners in the Liberty Mutual Insurance Play Positive™ program powered by Positive Coaching Alliance.

©2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance and Positive Coaching Alliance. All rights reserved. This material may not be distributed without express written permission. Any reproduction in whole or part by and individuals or organizations will be held liable for copyright infringement to the full extent of the law.