Sports kids should push past challenges by focusing on incremental steps rather than the bigger end goal, said Dianette Wells, a world-class mountaineer, ultra-endurance athlete and author.

For example, to prepare for a hike in Malibu, Calif., she focused on improving her time by a minute each time she hiked.

“I just did it in incremental amounts so my mind could accept that and my body could deal with that. You don't necessarily have to look at the goal line, but just the little steps along the way that you can do to improve yourself,” she said.

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Young athletes realize a number of benefits when they embrace growth mindsets, said Iuri Melo, a youth sports coach, licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of SchoolPulise, which texts youth positive psychology statements to support their mental health.

These kids tend to be optimists who try harder, for longer periods of time and when things get difficult, he said.

Players with fixed mindsets tend to be negative, quit early and stop trying hard when they face challenges. But it's possible for kids to switch from having "fixed" mindsets to growth mindsets, with a little help, Melo said.

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Research shows that girls' identities can get too wrapped up in sports, said Marlene Holmes, a mental health advocate, sports social worker and regional director at Netball America.

Girls also grapple with low self-confidence and challenges visualizing themselves as being successful and leaders in their community.

The Netball American program teaches middle school girls and boys netball as a vehicle for improving their communication and teamwork skills and boosting their self confidence.

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Sabrina Yavil, sports mom to three boys and founder of Gryme, struggled with encouraging her kids to clean up after practices and games. What's more, the boys didn't seem to want to put time into practicing for games.

She began asking them to make their beds and put away their dishes in the morning and take showers after practices or games. She asked them to take more responsibility for getting their sports gear together before games.

The result, she said: As they became more disciplined and responsible, their confidence grew in and out of sports.

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The human brain tends to lean toward negativity.

It doesn't understand the difference between protecting us from a snake or lion and protecting us from emotional states, said Debbie O'Connell, president, Live Positive and Golf Positive.

She provides three tips to help sports kids overcome negativity, including changing their posture.

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Without grit and discipline, young athletes won't be successful, said Cary Knox, retired head coach and author of "I Believe," which explores the legacies of Illinois Sports Legends.

We live in a selfish society, and kids who lack discipline are being selfish because they're not good teammates, he said.

He provides examples of grit and discipline on one of his teams. The players struggled for two years, then made a comeback.

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Adolescent runners are still growing, and it's critical to support their growth with nutrition that supports their brain and bone health, said Michele Pettinger, author of The Young Runners' Guide to Nutrition.

She provides nutrition tips for parents of runners, and also touches on how runners struggle with body image challenges.

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Young athletes often stop enjoying sports because they're perfectionists, compare themselves to others or "mind read," or make assumptions about what others are thinking, according to Jaclyn Ellis, a mental performance coach at Peak Performance Sports.

She explains how she helps sports kids overcome these challenges and begin enjoying sports more.

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