Coaches must guide this process in young athletes so that they learn to direct their attention to what is important.

There are lots of examples of coaches getting athletes to think about problems rather than positive outcomes. In games like golf, the more you fear the obstacle, the more it can act like a huge magnet to your ball.

There is no better way to mess up a child's game than to say, "Don't hit it in the woods."

Instead, draw their attention to the landing area. Have them see it so huge and bright that it obscures the obstacles. This alone creates a sense of relaxation, where their unconscious mind then looks after the swing.

In games like soccer, especially with young children where the net seems as wide as the field, children will often kick the ball directly at the goaltender. The child's attention to, or fear of, the goaltender gets her exactly what she sees.

To fix this, have children "paint" the opening around the goaltender in their favorite colour. Then get them to intensify the colour until the goaltender almost disappears. By doing this, young athletes see the goal openings first and the goalie second (or not at all), which is a much easier and more efficient scoring process.

And last, coaches can inadvertently draw children's attention to tiredness when fatigue sets in.

They say things like: "I know you are wiped but just hang tough," "Don't do anything stupid," "No mistakes."

Instead, draw their attention to their perseverance, skill and determination.

Say things like: "Dig down deep and show me what you've got," "This is where you have some fun out there," "We've trained for this moment," "You know what you have to do," "Play your 'A' game."

You'll be surprised by how much energy children have left when you redirect their attention to the positive.

With practise, you will have fun drawing your young athletes' attention to what is important. And it won't be long before they copy you and start thinking that way themselves, whether it is in hitting a green, scoring a goal, or digging down deep and coming back big time.

- Bob Palmer is the president of SPORTEXCEL Consulting. He provides peak performance training for amateur, professional and Olympic-level coaches and athletes throughout North America, in one-on-one training sessions and workshops. Please direct your feedback to this article or any other question to: bpalmer@sportexcel.ca / 705-720-2291.

For more information, visit www.sportexcel.ca.