Person within the Athlete - Anxiety in Youth Sports

This session will explore how anxiety lowers performance, causes burnout, and strains relationships between athletes, parents, and coaches. Anxiety and pressure in youth sports are becoming increasingly common concerns for athletes, parents, and coaches. As expectations and investment in youth sports continue to grow, many young athletes are navigating more pressure to perform, succeed, and avoid mistakes. Anxiety can leave athletes afraid to make mistakes, interfere with confidence and performance, create tension in relationships with parents and coaches, and ultimately contribute to burnout or take away from the experience of playing the sport they love. At Legacy, we believe in the power of sports to positively shape young people. We also believe we have a responsibility to acknowledge the challenges that can come with competitive sports, educate our community, support those who may be struggling, and provide practical tools that help athletes, parents, and coaches navigate those challenges. In this session of “Athlete Within the Person,” we’ll explore what anxiety can look like in young athletes, what contributes to it, and how athletes, parents, and coaches can unintentionally make it better or worse. The session will also offer practical strategies, tips, and tools that athletes, parents, and coaches can use to manage anxiety, reduce pressure, strengthen relationships, and help keep sports healthy, meaningful, and fun.