Symptoms of Athletic Stress
· Nervous habits, tics
· Aggressive behavior
· Angry outburst
· Elevated sugar, rapid speech
· Feeling overwhelmed
· Sweating, increased heart rate and breathing (Athletic stress. (n.d.).Retrieved Dec 30th . 2023 fromhttps://myfamilymedicalcare.com/athletics-stress.php)
Emotional Challenges
The nature of competitive sports produces challenges that are unique to athletes, and each sport has its own
set of challenges that are often ignored. On the field, court or during practice there is increased pressure to perform at a high level. There is pressure from coaches, trainers, teammates, parents, the social circle and most importantly from yourself. Athletes often tend to pride themselves on toughness and independence, which is a good characteristic involving resilience, but can have a negative impact on
seeking needed coping resources. The constant shifting and changes in sports requires that athletes are adaptable, seeking to constantly improve and adapt to new environments. Resilience requires tools and coping strategies that are healthy for the long term and during the moment. (Secades, X. G., Molinero, O., Salguero, A., Ruiz Barquin, R., de la Vega, R., & Márquez, S. 2016)
Can emotional stress impact physicalhealth and performance?
Although stress is typically seen as emotional, it canhave a physical impact. As noted above, one could develop a tic, heart rate
could increase. These are physical impacts that can seriously impact performance. An upset stomach and diarrhea can even be caused by stress. These symptoms can undoubtedly decrease the ability for an athlete to perform
regardless of the sport. It is important to see yourself as important enough to take care of yourself and seek out tools to cope with stress. Stress can cause conflicts within the team, increasing the pressure on the athlete even further
and the athlete can feel alienated from the team or group. (Beauchamp,M. R., & Eys, M. A. Eds.2014)
"Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax."
CopingWith Stress
· Deep breathing techniques
· Visualization and relaxation images
· Massage therapy and relaxation of muscles
· Meditation
· Therapy
· Reach out to counselors, coaches, andthose in the athletic department for assistance
(Berg, B. K., & Warner, S. 2019)
References:
Connor-Smith,J. K., Compas, B. E., Wadsworth, M. E., Thomsen, A. H., & Saltzman, H.
(2000). Response to stress in adolescence: Measurement of coping and
involuntary stress responses. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,
68(6), 976–992.
Fletcher, D., Hanton, S., & Mellalieu, S. D.(2006). An organizational stress review: Conceptual and theoretical issues in
competitive sport. In S. Hanton & S. D. Mellalieu (Eds.), Literature
reviews in sport psychology (pp. 321–374). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science.
Gaudreau,P., & Blondin, J. P. (2004). Different athletes cope differently during a
sport competition: A cluster analysis of coping. Personality and Individual
Differences, 36(8), 1865–1877.
Sarkar,M., & Fletcher, D. (2013). How should we measure psychological resilience
in sport performers? Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science,
17(4), 264–280.
Secades, X. G., Molinero, O., Salguero, A., Ruiz Barquin,R., de la Vega, R., & Márquez, S. (2016). Relationship between resilience
and coping strategies in competitive sport. Perceptual & MotorSkills, 122(1), 336–349.
Torres, C. R. (2020). What Is the value of pursuing optimalathletic performance? Kinesiology Review, 9(1), 13–20.
Beauchamp, M. R., & Eys, M. A. (Eds.). (2014). GroupDynamics in Exercise and Sport Psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY:Routledge. pp.
Berg, B. K., & Warner, S. (2019). Advancing collegeathlete development via social support. Journal of Issues inIntercollegiate Athletics, 87–113.
Athletic stress. (n.d.). Retrieved Dec 30th . 2023 fromhttps://myfamilymedicalcare.com/athletics-stress.php