By high school, many teenagers feel they can't handle more than one sport, let alone be ordinary at it. So they go for a psychological edge, hoping to be mentally tweaked into shooting flawless free throws or sinking perfect putts. When kids have problems in sports, it's often not mechanical. Bill Buckner Jr. While teenagers have many reasons to seek this mental edge, many acknowledge they want to bolster their athletic record to impress college admissions officers. But not everyone is convinced all this mental manipulation of today's young jocks is harmless.
Teenagers are at a critical age of developing character and forming new identities.
Daydreamers might be burned-out teenagers who shouldn't be made to feel mentally ill. Sulkers could be learning humility. Somehow they're a failure because they haven't measured up. Some students see sports psychologists as no different than SAT preparation coaches, college admissions consultants, tutors, and trainers who help teenagers improve their performance. They tap into a teenage mindset that worries less about the stigma of seeing a therapist than the stigma of not being in the spotlight.