Youth Athletes
For young athletes carrying a lot
Youth sport asks a lot of kids and teens: tryouts, rankings, group chats, coaches, school, and the feeling that one bad game says something about who they are. I work with athletes from age 8 through the university years.
Book a free sessionWhat we work on together
- Nerves before games, tryouts and races
- Confidence that doesn't disappear after a mistake
- Comparison with teammates and social media
- Pressure from expectations , their own and everyone else's
- Falling back in love with a sport that stopped being fun
- Fear of letting down coaches, parents or teammates
- Balancing school, training and a social life
- Anxiety, low mood and self-esteem beyond sport
How sessions work for younger athletes
Sessions are conversational and active , we use examples from their sport, simple tools they can actually remember mid-game, and language that fits their age. For athletes under 19, a parent or guardian consents to the work and I keep you looped in on themes and progress while protecting your athlete's privacy about the details. That balance is set up clearly in our first meeting.
Two kinds of support
Mental performance
Skills for competing: routines, focus cues, resetting after errors, confidence building, goal setting.
Counselling
When the harder part is anxiety, mood, self-worth or something happening away from sport. Reduced-rate, supervised sessions.
Signs it might be time to reach out
Dreading competition, sleeping badly before games, big emotional swings after performances, talking about quitting something they love, or being brutally hard on themselves. None of these mean something is wrong with your athlete , they usually mean they're carrying more than they have tools for yet.
Young athletes are people first. The goal isn't only a better performance , it's a kid who likes their sport and likes themselves.
Book a free 15-minute consultation
A short, free call to figure out the right kind of support.