Help Your Athlete Handle the Pressure of Being on the Team
- Sammy Knight & Dr. Jei Pearcey
- Aug 25
- 4 min read
The training, the sacrifice, the hard work—it’s all paid off. Your athlete made the team. That’s a huge accomplishment worth celebrating. But here’s the truth: making the roster isn’t the end of the journey; it’s the start of a whole new challenge. Now the pressure ramps up.
Your child is competing for more playing time, trying to prove themselves to coaches and teammates, and performing at their best when it counts. For many athletes, that success can bring even more anxiety than the tryout itself.
In the NFL, Sammy learned that the difference between staying on the roster and getting cut often came down to how I handled the tough days. Parents have the power to teach that lesson early — before the stakes get that high.
At the NSAWMF, we call these Moments That Matter, which are pivotal points in an athlete’s life that can either propel their growth or shake their confidence. As parents, how we respond in these moments can determine whether the setback becomes a roadblock or a springboard.
Why Parents Matter More Than You Think
When your athlete is showing signs of increased anxiety, don’t stand on the sidelines – this is your chance to help. Encouragement, not pressure, from parents improves young athletes’ motivation and enjoyment in sport, according to the National Academy of Athletics research.
When parents are focused on support and constructive feedback, athletes report higher enjoyment, participation, and self-esteem. In short, focus on effort, development, and mental resilience over wins. You’re not just supporting your child’s sport, you’re building skills that build and protect mental fitness for a lifetime.
With the right tools, you can change the trajectory of your child’s season — and their self-belief — in measurable, lasting ways.
R.O.A.R. to How to Help Your Child Meet the Moment–Good or Bad
Let’s be honest: one of the hardest moments as a parent comes when your child has a bad game or gets benched. You can see the disappointment written all over their face, and your heart aches to make it better. But in those moments, it’s not about finding the perfect words — it’s about giving them the tools to rise.
That’s why at NSAWMF, we use the R.O.A.R. method, part of our Eternal Athlete Framework™ — a step-by-step process to help parents transform frustration and setback into resilience and strength.
R.O.A.R. was born out of love. Sammy first discovered it years ago when his daughter, just a toddler, fell and skinned her knee. She was on the verge of a meltdown, but instead of rushing in to fix it, Sammy knelt down and encouraged her to “roar” like a lion in the jungle. In that moment, her tears turned into courage.
That spark of resilience became the inspiration for building R.O.A.R. into a framework that now helps athletes at every level.
Because setbacks don’t define your child, how they respond does. With R.O.A.R., you can guide them through it:
Recover: Help your child pause, breathe, and reset emotionally before reacting.
Observe: Encourage them to notice what’s really happening: their body language, emotions, and environment. This builds Performance Perception — the skill of evaluating effort and growth instead of obsessing over mistakes.
Adapt: Teach them to make thoughtful, intentional adjustments instead of reactive ones.
Rise: Support them in taking action with purpose and confidence, ready for the next challenge.
We’ve learned that the most powerful thing we can do isn’t to fix the outcome — it’s to equip our kids to face it, grow from it, and come back stronger. That’s Competitive Resilience — the mental, emotional, and social strength to bounce back and thrive under pressure.
Your Moment is Now
The power of R.O.A.R. is that it isn’t just for the hard days. It works just as well when your athlete is thriving.
When they’re performing well, R.O.A.R. helps them stay grounded, observe what’s fueling their success, and adapt in ways that keep their momentum going. When the tough moments come — a bad game, missed shot, or time on the bench — the same framework helps them reset, refocus, and rise again.
In both victory and struggle, R.O.A.R. gives parents a way to guide their child toward resilience, balance, and long-term confidence.
Because the scoreboard and rosters will change. But, the mental fitness they build now? That will last a lifetime.
Let’s Continue This Journey Together
These tips are adapted from the Eternal Athlete Framework™, NSAWMF’s science-backed guide to athlete mental fitness and wellness. By joining our free membership, you’ll get access to:
Practical tools like the R.O.A.R. Method and the full Eternal Athlete Parent Tips guide.
Timely insights for navigating tryouts, team dynamics, injuries, and performance pressure.
A supportive community of parents, coaches, and experts who believe mental fitness is the key to lasting success in sports and life.
Stay tuned for the next piece in our series on how to help your child when they don’t make the team.
Are you ready to develop your mental fitness as an athlete? Join the National Sports Association of Wellness & Mental Fitness (NSAWMF) and become part of a community committed to total athletic development – mind, body, and spirit.
Disclaimer: The content provided by the National Sports Association of Wellness & Mental Fitness (NSAWMF) is for performance and developmental purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing mental health challenges or emotional distress, please seek support from a licensed mental health professional. Always consult a qualified provider with any questions you may have regarding your mental well-being.
