Watch: Honor Your Bandwidth with Dr. Josh Klapow

August 17, 2026

Watch sports psychologist Dr. Josh Klapow explain how parents and coaches can protect a young athlete’s bandwidth while supporting performance, development, and a lasting love of the game.

On August 2, Hoover-Vestavia Soccer partnered with Vestavia Hills Soccer Club and Hoover Soccer Club to host sports psychologist Dr. Josh Klapow for “Honor Your Bandwidth: You and Your Young Athlete.”


We are pleased to make the recorded presentation available to our families, coaches, and broader soccer community.


Peak Performance Is Not “All Out, All the Time”


Peak performance happens when an athlete applies the right amount of energy, attention, and effort at the right time. To do that, young athletes must perform within their personal bandwidth - the mental and physical capacity they have available to meet the demands in front of them.


An athlete’s bandwidth may differ from that of a parent, sibling, or teammate. A smaller bandwidth does not necessarily mean less talent, effort, impact, or endurance. It simply means that each athlete has a different capacity for managing the demands of sport and life.


CLICK TO WATCH THE PRESENTATION


Young Athletes Experience One Total Load


Players do not experience soccer and life as separate categories. Training, matches, travel, school, sleep, friendships, physical growth, injuries, recovery, pressure, identity, and emotions all contribute to one total load.


When those demands exceed an athlete’s available resources, the athlete can enter a scarcity mindset. This may look like:


  • Irritability, tears, or explosive frustration
  • Difficulty listening to coaching after a mistake
  • Avoidance, procrastination, or loss of joy
  • Emotional shutdown
  • A player who suddenly appears not to care


These behaviors do not necessarily indicate a lack of effort or commitment. They may be signs that an athlete’s bandwidth has been exceeded.

How Parents and Coaches Can Help


Dr. Josh encourages adults to keep the athlete’s long-term development at the center of every decision. The goal is not simply to win the next game. It is to help develop a skilled, resilient athlete who still wants to play years from now.

Parents and coaches can reinforce a broader range of positive outcomes, including:


  • Courage after a mistake
  • Good decisions under pressure
  • Purposeful effort
  • Recovery and self-care
  • Asking for help
  • Being a strong teammate


Communication also matters. The right message must come at the right moment and in the right amount.

Instead of immediately offering advice after a game, consider asking:


  • “What do you need from me right now?”
  • Another helpful option is: “Would you like to talk, or would you prefer some quiet?”


A simple question can protect an athlete’s bandwidth and open the door to a more productive conversation later.


Watch the Presentation


It is healthy to challenge young athletes toward the edge of their abilities. That is where learning and growth can happen. However, consistently pushing beyond their bandwidth can contribute to impaired performance, injury, burnout, and disconnection from the game.


This lesson also applies to parents and coaches. How adults manage their own stress, energy, and emotions directly affects the young people around them.


We invite all Hoover-Vestavia Soccer families and coaches to watch Dr. Josh Klapow’s presentation and learn how honoring bandwidth can help athletes perform, recover, grow, and continue loving the game.


CLICK TO WATCH THE PRESENTATION


Thank you to Dr. Josh Klapow, Vestavia Hills Soccer Club, and Hoover Soccer Club for helping us bring this valuable conversation to our soccer community.

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