Parents and coaches ask this all the time Why Kids Keep Making the Same “Mistakes” in Matches

Parents and coaches ask this all the time

“They know the right decision… so why doesn’t it show up in games?”

It’s easy to assume the answer is:

More coaching

More instructions

More reminders

But research into how children learn decisions in sport points us somewhere else.

In games, children don’t consciously recall instructions.

They fall back on habits and behaviours shaped by the environments they experience most often.

For example:

– If sessions are constantly stopped to give answers, children learn to wait for answers

– If mistakes are met with instant correction, children learn to play safe

– If decisions are always pre-planned, children don’t practise choosing under pressure

– If adults react badly on the sidelines, children learn to look there, not at the game

None of this is intentional.

But over time, these experiences become habits – especially under pressure in games.

That’s why the same patterns keep showing up on match day.

Not because children aren’t listening.

Not because they don’t care.

And often not because they lack skill.

Small changes in the environment can lead to very different behaviours, without more shouting or explaining.

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Share it with a parent or coach who’s been asking “why does this keep happening?”

We explore this idea in more depth on the Shouting From The Sidelines podcast