Helping Young Athletes Thrive Under Pressure

This is a great starting point to help your child reflect on how they respond when things get tough in training or competition.

Improves

• Resilience
• Focus

Directions for Parents

Talking about pressure moments and routines with your kids can help them build resilience, the ability to bounce back when things don’t go their way. It also sharpens their focus, teaching them to concentrate on their process rather than the outcome.

When your child feels nervous or struggles after mistakes, it can be tempting to step in and “fix” things. Instead, try asking questions, just as Stuart Barnes recommends with his professional cricketers:

• What does success look like in this moment?
• How can you slow the game down?
• What helps you reset after something goes wrong?

This approach helps your child develop self-awareness and confidence in their decision-making. Remember, growth happens when they’re challenged and supported at the same time.

Ideas for Kids

1. Create a reset routine: Take a breath, use a word or gesture, and get ready for the next ball, point, or moment.
2. Focus on your process: Think about one small thing you can control — like your run-up, your breathing, or how you walk back to position.
3. Be okay with mistakes: Everyone makes them. What matters is learning and moving on, not being perfect.

Helpful Resources

Here are two resources that can support you as a parent:

• Ep290: Gordon Maclelland – Stop Focusing On Results: Developing Life Skills Through Sport – Practical advice on how to support your child in sport without adding pressure.
• Ep279: Ger Fitzgerald – How To Help A Young Cricketer Overcome Selection Difficulties – Insights into resilience and bouncebackability for young cricketers.