Supporting Youth Athletes During Covid-19: Advice for Parents and Guardians: Supporting Youth Athletes During Covid-19

This document aims to provide psychological guidance for parentsand guardians of youth athletes during the current Covid-19 pandemic. Since lockdown (on 23 March 2020), and the subsequent emergence from lockdown in the United Kingdom(UK), youth athletes have been forced to significantly change their training, with the cancellation of formal training sessions and reintegration with social distancing. Throughout this timecompetitive sport was suspended, and in this transition phase, it isstill unclear when all competitions will commence. These changes for some can lead to feelings of anxiety, frustration, and uncertainty. We offer psychological guidance to help parentsand guardians maintain their own wellbeing, and support their children in their return to competitive sport. Three key priorities have been identified as critical for supporting youth athletesin managing the Covid-19 transition. These include 1. Self-management for parents and guardians 2. Navigating uncertainty3. Motivation and goal setting. This article provides details on how to support young people in sport and is part of a series of articles published with the British Psychological Society.