Athletes from a very young age are faced with unique challenges and pressures. Then you pair that with pubescence..yeah, things are complicated. My biggest population is around the adolescent age. Whether these athletes are just coming in for sport-specific help or more mental health reasons there is usually some hesitation. Something I get asked on regular basis from parents is "How do I approach my athlete about what you do?

Here are some of my tips on talking about it.

1. Everyone knows this can be an uncomfortable topic to present and teens can smell fear a mile away. If you're uncomfortable and unsure they probably will be too. Explore it together!

2. Express your concerns while focusing on specific mood or behavior changes. “I’ve noticed you’ve been coming home from practices looking upset” or "We know you have been struggling with your performance and feeling worried about it” Empathize with them about what you have been noticing. For example: “It can be so frustrating and upsetting to be struggling and not know how to fix it.

3. Express your limitations and the coach’s limitations for helping. Most of the time the athlete has been struggling for a while and parents and coaches just don't know how else to help. It’s okay to tell your teen this is out of your scope BUT that you know someone who can help! “I wonder if talking to someone that is an expert would help you?”

4. Presenting the expert of athletes! You do not have to say therapy or counseling at all. Here’s an example “Miss or coach White helps only athletes including professional ones (that always helps) with things like slumps, mental blocks and even those pre-game jitters. She was an athlete and coach so that's pretty cool. She could probably really understand and help all of us out.

Full blog posts are located at TheAthleteMindblog.com