Before you can teach a kid to learn, they need to value individual accomplishment and the value of those accomplishments to the group.

Until they internalize those things, it's all just fun and game to them.

Keller

First is to recognize they are kids... some do this because the really want this ,... some do it to please their parents or friends and some do it because they want to be a part of the whole group.. The ones that really want this will get the training of the mind and will exceed... the others will have a great time being a kid and that is ok!!! we as the adults need to be careful not to push to hard ... a kid will beet themselves up more about a score than we could and sometimes if you let them brew about it for a while and ask them How do you think you could improve they will talk though teaching themselves the mental game... be there for them and listen ... Kids want to learn be a friend and a coach... I think you are the perfect person for this ... you are teaching and passing on so much already to them... they will always admire you for it!!! Thank you for passing on our sport!!!

I think they have to go hand in hand - part of teaching youth shooters is guiding them in maturing as adults. Developing maturity and a mental game is very much a part of the holistic program. Bassham is a great series of lectures, but far to intense for most youth shooters. It goes beyond the ability of most adults to follow for that matter. The key to the mental game he believes in is discipline and following the actions pretty closely. Just getting people to have a shooting diary is hard.

His principles are sound however, and I use them a lot - just in summary version at a level I think the kid can handle. Spoon feeding is an appropriate description. I also try to wait for those teachable moments, and especially when they are looking for a solution to a problem. If they don't want the advice, you are wasting you breath.

You do not want to think about the misses. Only think about how to hit the target. Thinking about the missed targets will only make you very good at missing targets. HMB

When you figure it out with the kids, let us know....happens with "grown ups", too.

Ask me how I know!

One of the first questions that I ask a new shooter is, "How many birds do you shoot in a round of Trap?" Most don't get my trick answer of "one".

I do this to point out that thinking about the lost 7th bird will NOT help you get bird 8. I've seen very experienced shooters (better than me!) go completely to hell after a miss - body language changes, they start thinking too much, the shole deal.

My kid is a much better shot than I - sometimes, he can shake off am miss, sometimes, the "rats in the brain" run wild. Case in point - we had a "105" shoot - 50 singles, 25 caps @24 yards, 15 pair of doubles - he shot "only" 23 on the first round - I could see the rats coming out of their holes, but he pushed them back, ran the next singles, then the caps (and his "real" yardage is 20) them dropped only 3 of the doubles. 99/105. Won by a 10-target margin!

My point....try to get them to think about the misses AFTER the event. And, teh only way to do this is practice, IMO.

You can start proper mental training by reading the following book written by an olympic gold medalist. "With Winning In Mind", by Lanny Bassham. HMB

How old are they? There is this terrible disease called PUBERTY. LOL

Seriously, where are you located? I have talked to you, but Sometimer's is kicking in. It is similar to Alzheimer's, but only strikes occasionally.

A positive approach to training is the key. Dwelling on past failures is a sure fire way of repetition. Focusing on a positive outcome is a sure fire way to defeat failure. Easy to say, takes a little training to get the young athlete to think differently.

The young ego is very fragile. The quicker we can get the young athlete to shoot reactively, the less ego is involved, and the better they shoot. Also, if they know WHY they missed, they can fix it, instead of dwelling on the past.

I have a passing knowledge of positive mental training and would be willing to help.

You likely know where I am located, I have forgotten where at the moment. LOL

I guess I titled this correctly.. How do you do, or where do you go for youth mental training..? We have kids on our team that are excellent shooter.. 97 98 99 shooters on normal days but 79-80 on bad days.. and I think its all in their head..heck..I know it is.. as long as the targets are breaking everything is fine.. miss a couple in a row and everything heads south quick.. faces get red, lips poke out.. they look like the life is draining out of them.. ready to quit never to return.. how do you deal with this... I have no trouble with gun mount,fit,stance etc.. but when it comes to turning them around after the first 50 on the way to the second fifty my skills aint so good... any ideas? thanks!