Youth sports motivation for parents - intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation - playing for yourself vs playing for the team - practical ways to support your athlete without adding pressure.

Mental performance coach Lindsey Nadler joins us to unpack what truly drives kids in sports and how parents can lead in a way that fuels growth instead of shutdowns. We cover internal motivation vs external rewards, why “finding the why” matters, and a second layer most people miss - being motivated by personal improvement vs being motivated by the team.

You’ll hear real stories from the field - from dollar-per-goal experiments to chicken-nugget dugout chants - and how those quick wins can be used to steer kids back to love of the game. Lindsey also explains what’s happening in the brain, how to praise the process, and how to guide instead of push.

What we cover

• Internal vs external motivation - and how to shift kids toward internal drive
• Fun as a real tool - using short-term incentives without creating long-term dependence
• Praise that builds resilience - process, discipline, effort, and being a great teammate
• Playing for self vs playing for team - strengths, pitfalls, and how sport type changes the calculus
• The “motivation triad” in the brain - conserve energy, seek pleasure, avoid pain
• Age-appropriate expectations - why a nine year old’s “why” looks different from a teen’s
• Travel sports and pay-to-play - clarity on goals, roles, and what you’re actually signing up for
• Guiding over pushing - questions that build ownership and confidence

Helpful prompts you can use this week

• What do you love most about your sport right now
• What do you want from this season - fun, friends, getting better, playing time
• If you could practice one part every day, what would it be
• You said your goal was X - is today’s energy getting you there

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