The emotional, social, physical and academic benefits of youth sports are well documented. But the rising costs of participating are undermining young athletes' access to sports and its benefits.

That's the message from Christy Keswick, president and co-founder of the nonprofit Good Sports. She shares the results of a Harris Poll that found 90% of sports parents polled understand the benefits of sports, but 75% are considering withdrawing their kids from sports because of high costs.

She explains what's driving up costs and how parents can work to provide less expensive programs in schools and recreational leagues.

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Young athletes lack competitiveness in sports in part because they compare themselves to others, when they need to focus on their own strengths. They also overthink and focus on negative "what if" statements.

Georgia Miller, a mental performance coach with PeakSports.com, explains the mental game issues that contribute to lack of competitiveness and how to overcome the challenges.

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Gifted kids often focus exclusively on sports and fail to make friends or participate in other activities, said Susan Williams, a clinical hypnotherapist at SportHypnotherapy.com.

Parents and coaches need to encourage them to try other activities and to develop a circle of supportive friends, she said. She uses hypnotherapy to put kids in a light trance that opens them to new possibilities.

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If people who lead in youth sports--coaches, captains, players and parents--are emotionally inteligent, they're more likely to help a team weather its ups and downs.

Caleb Chambliss, a licensed mental health counselor, leadership coach and athlete development specialist explains how emotional intelligence begins with self-awareness--a trait that helps both adults and players better understand their emotions and the emotions of others.

This trait allows captains and coaches help players be the best players possible.

It also helps the players. Once they recognize how they're feeling, they're better able to let go of fear of failure, play intuitively and take risks that lead to growth, he said.

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Negative thinking hurts sports kids' confidence and performance. But juggling, hypnosis and posting notes all over a sports kids' house can combat this way of thinking, said Ignacio Segovia, a hypnotherapist, psychologist and mental performance coach.

Juggling--or even tossing a ball from one hand to the other before a game--can interrupt negative thoughts by occupying the athlete's mind and senses, he said. With hypnosis, sports kids can substitute negative thoughts such as "I'm no good at sports" with positive thoughts. And when kids post notes all over their house with positive statements, kids' subconscious holds onto the positive thoughts. It's as if the house is talking to them, said Segovia.

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Young athletes should respond thoughtfully to setbacks, using visualization and breath control to ensure they don't react with emotion.

That's the message from Dayton Hansen, COO at ICL Academy, an online school that helps kids pursue passions such as sports.

When kids learn to respond this way to mistakes or other setbacks, they'll use this lesson in other areas of their lives, he said.

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Good coaches can motivate athletes to try their hardest. They can help kids move on from mistakes. They can even change kids' lives, said Dylan Meyer, 22, founder of Legacy of Legends, which helps parents choose sports camps for their young athletes.

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Young athletes have very open minds, which is good and bad news in sports, says Susan Williams, a clinical hypnotherapist at SportHypnotherapy.com.

On the one hand, criticism from coaches and parents can affect them at the subconscious level, creating mental roadblocks.

But beccause kids' minds are so open. such challenges can be overcome with hypnotherapy, she said. When kids receive positive messages via hypnotherapy, it can "overwrite" the thoughts that are holding spports kids back.

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