The Vital Role of Sports Psychology in Young Athlete Development

Chris Bradley

As a sports psychologist, what are some key insights into the myriad benefits of physical activity for youth mental development?

From the release of brain chemicals associated with positive emotions, to improved body image and self-esteem, and developing teamwork and leadership skills, physical activity should be the number 1 pastime for young people.

Despite the growing emphasis on strength and conditioning in youth athlete development, why do you think mental skills development is still not receiving equal attention?

Sport will always have an obsession with physical characteristics, partly due to the inherently visible and measurable nature of these factors. This is why strength and conditioning has thus far been prioritized over the psychological aspects of performance. However, if you see interviews from the recent Olympic Games, there was way more reflection on the mental component and the impact of psychology than any other aspect of performance support, so I think this is changing. I’m actually part of a project where the aim is to get wellbeing and performance psychology skills and strategies into school sport.

Today, youth sports often prioritize competition, leading to early dropout rates due to diminished enjoyment. How can we ensure young athletes remain engaged and find joy in their sporting endeavors?

I would disagree that youth sport prioritizes competition. At least, that has been my recent experience of youth sport - soccer games where no one keeps score, AFL games where teams swap players to even up the score if one team is dominating. Not that I think this is a bad thing; I actually don’t believe competition is the reason for early dropout rates. Kids are instinctively and inherently competitive and need these early competitive experiences.

Today, I think the reason for early dropout from sports is over-emphasis on academic performance in a large part of the western world, increased options for young people in developed countries in terms of how they spend their time, alongside the influence of smartphones, gaming and devices taking over young peoples lives. Not only does the latter partly explain early dropout, but is also hugely detrimental to young people’s mental health.

Considering the lack of access to psychologists in many youth sports clubs, what approach would you recommend for addressing mental health and performance-related issues, such as burnout and skill development, among young athletes?

Educate parents and coaches. There is plenty of information out there for parents and coaches to be psychologically-informed about healthy youth sport participation.

What topics and strategies would you suggest for a parent workshop aimed at helping them understand and support their child's journey in sports effectively?

The overarching topic would be ‘long term psychological development’. This would include information about the developing brain, and attachment theory. Strategies would include - dosage of threat, supporting young people in high challenge environments, and parenting with PACE -  playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy.

 How can sports psychologists facilitate a smoother transition for young athletes from youth to professional sports, which is often considered the most challenging phase?

Ideally, athletes will have psychological support in place before they leave youth sport e.g. soccer academies. In this situation, the psychologist in the academy should work with people in the professional space who are responsible for psychological support to ensure an effective handover. If the athlete has not had access to psychology during their time in youth sport, psychologists in the professional environment should gather information and produce a comprehensive formulation that can help coaches and support staff in the professional environment understand that athlete and assist them in having a successful transition.     

How can sports psychology interventions contribute to fostering a positive team culture and camaraderie among youth athletes?

In reality, a positive team culture is a combination of the values and behaviours each member of that team brings to the environment. I think the psychologists role is to bring these values to light and start a productive dialogue around how a team can utilize these values in a positive way. Depending on the age of athlete’s in the team, they could be handed the responsibility of owning the culture and taking responsibility for this.

In your experience, what are some effective strategies for helping young athletes manage performance anxiety and maintain focus during competitions?

There are four core mental skills that I find to be effective with athletes of all ages and standards:

1. Goal setting - doing this effectively can enhance purpose and focus in moments of performance execution.
2. Relaxation - this can be a time effective way of reducing stress, anxiety and tension while promoting awareness and logical thinking.
3. Visualization - when done well, visualization is a great way of enhancing confidence and reducing anxiety.
4. Self-talk - An effective self-talk process can stop the emotional brain in it’s tracks and bring focus to the present moment.

What made you move from the UK to Australia?

There were several reasons. I was expecting my first child and feeling increasingly disillusioned with the UK. I felt Australia was a better environment with better opportunities for my children. I always wanted to live and work in different countries and when the opportunity to do so came up I wanted to grasp it. Finally, I have always admired the Australian attitude towards sport and wanted to be part of such a rich sporting heritage and culture. Also, it’s usually warm!

Can you tell us how does the NSW Institute of Sport cooperates with clubs and athletes?

NSWIS has 15 core sports that it governs. Primarily, the focus is on what the Australian sporting system categorizes as ‘emerging’ and ‘developing’ athletes. These are athletes who have shown potential, but are not yet achieving strong results at senior international competitions. NSWIS partners with each sport to offer a bespoke performance support package designed to meet the needs of athletes in that particular sport.

NSWIS also works with regional clubs and associations to identify talent and provide opportunities for coaches and athletes in clubs to observe and experience an elite sporting environment.

There are a lot of other things NSWIS does, and I am probably not the best-placed person to answer this question comprehensively but these are primary functions of NSWIS.