The 4 MOST important Mindset Skills for Junior Athletes
To enjoy and succeed in sport at any level, athletes need to develop in three key areas:
1. Physical skills and attributes, for example strength, speed, running or jumping.
2. Sports skills, for example kicking, passing, defending or pitching.
3. Mindset Skills, for example leadership, handling pressure, confidence and problem solving.
Just like physical and sport skills, mindset skills can be learned and practised. While there are many mindset skills that help young athletes, the four most important skills for junior players are:
1. Confidence
Confidence is the most important mindset skill for junior athletes, and it underpins the other 3 skills. When young athletes believe in themselves, they are more willing to try new skills, cope with mistakes, and take on challenges. Confidence helps them enjoy sport and feel proud of their efforts, not just the results.
2. Emotional Balance
Sport naturally brings big emotions—excitement, frustration, disappointment, and joy. Emotional Balance is about helping young athletes understand their emotions and learn healthy ways to manage them. This allows emotions to support their enjoyment and focus, rather than overwhelm them during games or training.
3. Focus
Games can be busy and distracting, especially for young athletes. Learning how to focus helps young athletes stay engaged, follow instructions, and enjoy the experience of playing. Some juniors struggle with being able to focus, while others can be too focussed, or ‘overthink’ the game. Developing a steady, balanced level of focus helps them stay present and play with confidence.
4. Handling Tough Stuff
Handling Tough Stuff means working out solutions to our problems. When we play sport, there can be many challenges, adversity, and factors that are out of our control. Handling Handle Tough means learning how to respond to these moments in a positive way. This helps young athletes bounce back from setbacks, stay motivated, and continue to enjoy and stay engaged in sport long-term.
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Developing the 4 Skills
The first thing I focus on with junior athletes is helping them understand strengths they already have in each of the 4 skills. From there, we explore ways to strengthen each skill through simple exercises they can practice both in training and during games.
Mindset skills training is similar to physical skills training—it requires consistent practice and dedication. Improvement doesn’t happen overnight, but with a structured training plan and regular effort, these four skills gradually build the foundation of a strong mindset.
Junior athletes usually grasp mindset skills and strategies fairly quickly. After about 6 weeks of consistent practice, most young athletes experience positive changes such as improvements in: their game, confidence, overall attitude to playing, connection with their team-mates, ability to focus and handle their emotions and challenges during a game, and they usually feel more positive about their experience of playing sport.
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