How are young athletes affected when their parents sink large amounts of money into youth sports and pile on expectations?

Former professional golfer Jay Delsing, author of "You Wouldn't Believe Me If I Told You," describes how he pursued his sports dream and says young athletes should also aim high, even if the odds of success are low.

Growing up in a large, low-income, sports-oriented family, he was encouraged to believe he could achieve anything with hard work, he said. Although baseball was his first love, golf became his passion.

"I wasn't smart enough to really be afraid. I mean, (people) would tell me all these odds," Delsing said. "'Do you know that less than 1 % of everybody that plays golf can play on the PGA tour?' people would ask. And I'm like, no, I didn't know that. And I don't really care. Somebody's got to make up that 1%. Why can't it be me?"

Learn more about Delsing at Golf with Jay Delsing.

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Young athletes who forget skills, freeze up or make avoidable mistakes and who can't meet their practice performance during competitions are struggling with performance blocks.

These blocks can be caused by excessive pressure, anxiety, worry, perfectionism or identity issues and self-judgement, said Albert Bramante, a psychology professor and author of "Rise Above the Script."

To help kids overcome these performance blocks, parents can remind them that blocks do not reflect ability. "It's not their fault that this has happened. It's not an indication that you're a subpar athlete or subpar performer; it just means you have a lot of anxiety," he said.

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