Good Sport: Supporting young athletes - Dr. Jay Lee Nair

About the Guest:

Dr. Jay-Lee Nair is an esteemed Australian sports psychologist with deep expertise in performance anxiety among young athletes. Residing in Singapore since 2012, she specializes in strategies to help high achievers and perfectionists thrive in competitive sports. Her impactful work in psychology and sports spans from her educational pursuits in the United States, where she earned Academic All American Honors while playing collegiate golf. Dr. Nair's passion is further evidenced by her book "Good Sport," reflecting her commitment to leveraging her experiences and insights for the betterment of young athletes globally.

Key Takeaways:

• Parental Role in Sports: The importance of parents acting as collaborators rather than directors in their children's athletic development, providing support through attentional silence and non-verbal encouragement.
• Handling Performance Anxiety: Young athletes should focus on controllable elements within their performance to mitigate anxiety linked to results-focused thinking.
• Effective Post-Game Debriefing: Introducing the "Good Better How" methodology helps to ensure debriefs are constructive and focused on strengths and areas for improvement.
• Gender-Specific Insights: The role of relationships and community in keeping girls engaged in sports through their teenage years.
• Promoting the Green Zone: Fostering a culture where athletes are encouraged to react positively to mistakes can help them develop resilience and maintain strong performances.

Notable Quotes:

• "Help young athletes connect with their strengths and that just takes conversations, questions, helping them build their independent awareness."
• "Pointing out their mistakes just exacerbates their dilemmas when it comes to competition."
• "When athletes get to a certain age, the focus on improvement shifts to scrutiny of mistakes and technical perfection."
• "Mistakes are statistics. If we prioritize reactions to mistakes, they develop resilience in their games."
• "My hope is that all young athletes embrace and learn their strengths and start to transfer that to every other part of their life."

Resources:

• Dr. Jay-Lee Nair's book: Good Sport
• Follow Dr. Jay-Lee on Instagram 

 

Click here to contact Collett or ask her a question or Click here to contact the Raising Teens team.

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Collett is a psychologist, qualified teacher, speaker, and internationally published author, with 25 years' experience working in private and public schools, as well as in private practice.

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