How to improve the mental game - for U littles

[Anonymous]

My son (10) is a great physical player and has a really good sense of the field and game. However, he runs sensitive/anxious, and can easily get down when things go wrong, getting frustrated, sometimes into tears, which helps neither his game or his team.

Have any other parents found ways to help their kids like this muscle through the mental game? I'd love some tips and tricks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son (10) is a great physical player and has a really good sense of the field and game. However, he runs sensitive/anxious, and can easily get down when things go wrong, getting frustrated, sometimes into tears, which helps neither his game or his team.

Have any other parents found ways to help their kids like this muscle through the mental game? I'd love some tips and tricks!

Leave the kid alone. Praise him for what he does well and do not criticize him. He will surely want to quit if you are too overbearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son (10) is a great physical player and has a really good sense of the field and game. However, he runs sensitive/anxious, and can easily get down when things go wrong, getting frustrated, sometimes into tears, which helps neither his game or his team.

Have any other parents found ways to help their kids like this muscle through the mental game? I'd love some tips and tricks!

Leave the kid alone. Praise him for what he does well and do not criticize him. He will surely want to quit if you are too overbearing.

I don't think the issue is overbearing parents - mostly we want to help him not lose his mind on the field. We don't criticize him- he's doing that to himself.

[Anonymous]

Play a lot of soccer

[Anonymous]

Ask the Mclean U9-U12 Girls Age Group Director, and SYA's Boys U9-U10 Age Group Director.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son (10) is a great physical player and has a really good sense of the field and game. However, he runs sensitive/anxious, and can easily get down when things go wrong, getting frustrated, sometimes into tears, which helps neither his game or his team.

Have any other parents found ways to help their kids like this muscle through the mental game? I'd love some tips and tricks!

I think it’s best that you spend a little quality time with your son and patiently ask him what he’s thinking and feeling during a game. My DD experienced this at the similar age. She was very tentative during games until I had a few takes with her to figure things out. But it took a few months to stop her nervousness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Play a lot of soccer

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son (10) is a great physical player and has a really good sense of the field and game. However, he runs sensitive/anxious, and can easily get down when things go wrong, getting frustrated, sometimes into tears, which helps neither his game or his team.

Have any other parents found ways to help their kids like this muscle through the mental game? I'd love some tips and tricks!

Let him grow in confidence and enjoy the game

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son (10) is a great physical player and has a really good sense of the field and game. However, he runs sensitive/anxious, and can easily get down when things go wrong, getting frustrated, sometimes into tears, which helps neither his game or his team.

Have any other parents found ways to help their kids like this muscle through the mental game? I'd love some tips and tricks!

I have him smoke a little medicinal marijuana right before the game. That way he's much more chilled about the whole thing.