youth sports

For many young athletes, sports begin with one simple goal: having fun. They play because they love competing, learning, and spending time with teammates. Yet somewhere along the journey, that joy often starts to disappear. Winning becomes everything. Mistakes feel catastrophic. Rankings, scholarships, social media, and expectations begin to outweigh the excitement of simply playing the game.

Ironically, the athletes who enjoy their sport the most often perform the best over the long term.

At SPMI, we’ve observed a significant rise in social media and video game overuse, particularly since 2020. This trend has increasingly impacted the development of young athletes, affecting areas such as goal achievement, mood, focus, and social behavior. As a result, we believe it is essential to address this issue and provide guidance on how to manage it effectively, so athletes can reach their full potential both in and outside of sport.

At SPMI, we’re fortunate to work with some of the best coaches in the country and around the world. Leaders who not only guide athletes to the highest levels of performance, but who also prioritize the coach-athlete relationship by building trust, respect, and personal growth. However, beyond this ever-growing network, a recurring concern continues to surface from parents and athletes seeking our support.

Many parents and coaches dream of seeing a young athlete reach their full potential. At SPMI we have found that there are 6 core components to achieving the highest level. Surprisingly, these same areas when developed are directly correlated to helping them succeed in the classroom and in life. While reading this article I challenge parents and athletes to rate each category from 1 to 10 to get a better understanding of how to maximize you or your young athlete’s full potential.

At SPMI we work with some of the best professional and junior athletes in the world as well as many more talented athletes who also are aspiring for greatness. And one of the most common questions that are asked are about what truly distinguishes professional athletes from amateur ones. When people talk about the difference between professional athletes and amateurs, the conversation usually starts with talent, speed, strength, or skill. While those factors matter, they are rarely what separates athletes at the highest levels.

Athletes make countless mental errors that can disrupt performance, but few are as common or as harmful as focusing on time.