Many female athletes struggle with a lack of confidence which can prevent them from being competitive and reaching their full potential.

When athletes feel confident, they’re focused on the task, feel comfortable, and commit fully to decisions – all of which can help them perform well. On the other hand, when they don’t feel confident, they often doubt themselves, feel nervous, focus on the wrong things, and make poor decisions, which can result in poorer performances.

As a mom, you can have a huge influence on your daughter’s confidence with sports. But, how do you do it?

Today, we’ll talk about how to build confidence in young female athletes with our special guest, Holli. Holli is a dedicated sports mom to Sienna, a middle school basketball player. Just like every young athlete, Sienna has had her fair share of ups and downs; she gets frustrated when she doesn’t perform well and her confidence takes a hit. But, Holli is able to help her daughter overcome these challenges, helping her achieve success in her chosen sport. 

1. Invest in your child’s mental training. Just as you invest in your child’s skills training, equipment, coaching, and other things necessary to improve their game, make sure to invest in your child’s mental training, too. 

2. Remind your child that they are not alone. Remind your child that they’re not alone; that other athletes struggle from time to time, too. 

3. Foster healthy communication. Good communication is important to building confidence. Most sports hinge on good communication. As a mom, you need to foster healthy communication between you and your child. 

4. Focus on team building. Give your child the opportunity to strengthen their relationships with their teammates off court. When players have a strong relationship off court, they are more likely to work well together on the court.

5. Teach them that mistakes happen – and that they shouldn’t dwell on them. No one’s perfect, and nothing that anyone does in life is 100% successful. Athletes are no different – even the pros make mistakes from time to time. 

6. Create a supportive environment. When female athletes are in an environment that encourages and supports them without question, they will find it much easier to be competitive and have confidence in their game.

7. Remind them to have fun. If you notice that your child is no longer having fun, or that they’re starting to crack under the pressure, it may be time to step back and reevaluate the situation. Of course, it’s important to take sports seriously. But, remind your child to have fun! When athletes are having fun, they’re more likely to let go of their self-doubt and they can fully immerse themselves in the experience.

Remember: Your child’s mental game is their biggest competitive advantage! As a mom, you play a key role in building your child’s confidence, and there are many things you can do off court to help build it.

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