Club tryouts, travel teams, recruiting, playing time, social media, and school all land on teen athletes at once. Physical training usually gets plenty of attention. The mental side often doesn't, until a slump, a meltdown, or an injury makes it impossible to ignore.
What a sports psychologist does for young athletes
Sports psychology teaches the mental skills behind performance, the same way a coach teaches technique. For teens and youth athletes, that often includes:
- Confidence that holds up after mistakes, bad games, or being benched
- Managing nerves before games, tryouts, and big moments
- Focus and refocusing in the moment
- Routines for warm-ups, free throws, at-bats, starts, and recovery
- Motivation and enjoying the sport again
- Handling pressure from coaches, parents, recruiting, and themselves
- Injury recovery, including fear of reinjury and coming back
- Balance between sport, school, friends, and rest
Signs your athlete could benefit
- They play well in practice but freeze or fall apart in games.
- One mistake spirals into a bad game, or a bad game into a bad week.
- They're anxious, irritable, or not sleeping before competitions.
- They've lost interest in a sport they used to love, or talk about quitting.
- They're stuck in a slump, a mental block, or the yips.
- They're coming back from an injury and holding back.
- They're hard on themselves in a way that worries you.
Not every athlete who sees a sports psychologist is struggling. Many simply want an edge, the same reason they work with a strength coach.
Mental skills or mental health?
Sometimes what looks like a performance problem is something more, such as anxiety, depression, disordered eating, or burnout that shows up outside sport too. Our team includes licensed clinicians who are trained in sport and performance psychology, so we can work on performance and, when needed, mental health. Performance psychology or therapy? How to tell. Anxiety in athletes: performance nerves or something more?
What sessions look like
Sessions are practical. Your athlete learns specific skills, like breathing and resets, self-talk, imagery, and pre-performance routines, then practices them in training and competition. Many athletes see meaningful progress in about six sessions, and the right number depends on their goals.
At the start, we talk with you and your athlete about goals and about what stays between your athlete and their clinician. Teens open up more when they know their sessions are theirs, and you'll still know how to help.
In person in Arvada or online
Sessions are available at our Arvada office, a short drive from Denver, Westminster, Boulder, and the west metro, or online, which fits around school and practice schedules. Online sessions with Dr. Walker may also be available in participating PSYPACT states. How online sports psychology works.
Who you'll work with
Our team brings experience from inside high-level sport. Dr. Ricki Walker is a licensed psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). Kaela Little, MA, LPC, CMPC was a Division I athlete and played professional soccer in France. Allie Don Sing, MA, LPC supported athletes with University of Denver Athletics.
How parents can help
- Ask about effort and fun, not just results. "Did you have fun? What did you learn?" goes further than the score.
- Keep the car ride home short. Let coaching come from coaches. Your athlete needs a parent.
- Present sports psychology as training, not fixing. "Lots of top athletes train their mind too" lands better than "you need help with your nerves."
- Let them have a say. Athletes engage more when they choose to go.
We also offer workshops for parents and teams on mindset training and athlete mental health.
Cost
Performance sessions are self-pay, because insurance covers treatment for a diagnosable condition, not mental skills training. If your athlete needs therapy for anxiety, depression, or another concern, that can often be billed to insurance. Fees and insurance.
Getting started
Start with a free 15-minute consultation. Send a secure inquiry, or call or text (720) 446-9438. Learn about sport and performance psychology at WPS.