As the director of the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology and a former sports psychologist for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dr. Jack Lesyk has spent decades helping athletes of all ages and levels beat anxiety and perform at their best. We checked in to see the common mistakes parents make — and how we can all do better.
Q. What’s your story?
A. In my late 30s I was overweight, smoking and drinking too much. I wanted to be fit as I turned 40. Two years after that, I ran the first of what turned out to be 15 marathons. That piqued
my interest in the mental part of sports. I dealt with all the issues: nervousness, minor injuries, setting goals.
Q. What is the No. 1 mistake
parents make?
A. A parent who is really pushing too hard and not trusting the natural development, natural motivation of an athlete. There is so much emphasis on sports that to a tremendous amount of pressure on these kids. Parents say,
“Enjoy yourself,” but they come home and are putting pressure on them.
Q. What is the most common concern you hear from young athletes?
A. The No. 1 thing that brings athletes to me across the age brackets is anxiety. The anxiety, of course, is related to performance. They are so worried about underperforming that it spoils the fun but also affects performance.
Sometimes, when a mistake happens, they go into a tailspin.
Q. Isn’t it natural to be nervous?
A. If you weren’t nervous, I’d worry about you. Being nervous means you care about your performance.
If it’s moderate and paired with feelings of “I’m prepared; I deserve to be here” that’s
good ner- vous. The anxiety becomes problematic when the thoughts are very negative. Instead of “I’m going to have a good day” it’s “I just don’t want to screw up.”
Q. How can parents help kids reap
the many benefits of sports even
if they’re not very good?
A. I like the concepts of club and intramural sports — for the joy and the exercise.
Q. What are the good parents
doing right?
A. They are good listeners and they trust their kids. They are also able to realize there is a point in time, usually by 14 or 15, that the parents stop coaching and trust the coaches. The parents who really are doing a great
job are very positive in terms of good performance and, particularly, praising the effort they see and also supporting good sportsmanship. Rather than criticizing, say “How did it go for you?”
Read more on Northeast Ohio's most competitive youth sports leagues and discover the best tips for maintaining the physical health of today's young athletes.
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