Your kid should consider quitting a sport if you notice these 6 signs:
- Dealing with too much anxiety – The pressure to perform in sports as well as maintain good grades can be very stressful for youth athletes. If your kid is starting to struggle to overcome their anxiety, it may be time to stop or at least take a break.
- They don’t know why they are struggling – Kids playing sports want to excel and do their best. It’s extremely frustrating when they have no idea what their problem is. This is frustrating for both parents and their kids. To find out what’s going on is to speak with a sports psychologist.
- A degrading coach – I’ve talked with so many parents of student-athletes over the years and it blows my mind how many horrible coaches there are. Many have caused extreme harm to their athletes and must be avoided. Stop one sport and find another.
- Parents living vicariously through their kids – In my experience, about 20% or so of kids are playing sports because their parents want them to. I get that parents need to nudge their children but sometimes they nudge a bit too far. If your kid truly doesn’t want to play, ask them what they would prefer to do and quit the sport they’re playing.
- Experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety – Sports performance anxiety begins in the mind but manifests itself within the body. Kids who are sick to their stomachs before games struggle to perform. If you notice your kids sweating more easily, or they seem to lose focus quickly, they may be dealing with the physical side of anxiety and may need to quit if they can’t figure out how to manage their nerves.
- Your kid seems to be distant or disconnected – Kids will always face adversity and struggle in sports. The ones we must keep an eye on are the ones who start to disconnect and seem distant. This is a very concerning sign and must be dealt with immediately. A disconnected kid is a kid in danger of self-harm or substance abuse.
If you’re a parent of a student-athlete and you’re not sure what to do, reach out to me and we can talk on the phone about it.
I’m always here to help!
Dr. Jay Cavanaugh
