When kids make mistakes or are struggling during a game in youth sports, it's not easy to quickly switch to positive thinking.

Instead, young athletes should embrace neutral thinking first. This involves focusing on improving one skill. This gives kids something positive to focus on, rather than filling their minds with negative thoughts.

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Rather than telling sports kids how to play, parents and coaches should help kids develop their signature style, says Craig Lambert, former chief sports writer at Harvard Magazine.

Kids should begin with strategy, and build their game around that. Technique should follow, he said. Parents should let kids experiment and improvise to develop their own style. This will help them build confidence.

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Carter Hogg, a 20-year-old college football player and inventor of a neck guard to help athletes avoid injuries, discusses the fear of getting injured and the challenges of coming back after an injury.

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