Effects of Anxiety on Sport Performance and How to Manage Anxiety for Success
Effects of Anxiety on Sport Performance and How to Manage Anxiety for Success
Introduction According to (Weinberg & Gould, 2011), anxiety is a negative emotional state in which feelings of nervousness, worry, and apprehension are associated with the arousal of the body. There are two types of anxiety that can affect an individual, cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety. Cognitive anxiety is the negative thoughts or worries that change from moment-to-moment. Somatic anxiety is the degree of physical activation perceived such as “butterflies in the stomach (Weinberg & Gould, 2011).” Anxiety happens to everyone, especially in pressure situations. Athletes are constantly in pressure situations. For example, a basketball player finds himself on the free throw line, down by one, with 1 second to go in the game. The player begins to look around at all the screaming fans and starts to breathe heavily, becoming tense, and sweating profusely. Time begins to pass, negative thoughts are rushing in left and right and the player begins to think about mechanics. The player shoots the ball and misses the goal completely and the game is over. What made this player become so nervous? What can this player do differently next time? The answer is simple, anxiety and pressure. Anxiety and pressure play key roles in decreasing sport performance. Through extensive research, I have found five studies addressing factors that increase or decrease anxiety, thus affecting an athlete’s performance when under pressure. Knowing these factors can help athletes become more aware of the symptoms of anxiety, learn how to deal with these symptoms, and eventually being able to overcome anxiety, leading to increased sport performance.
Otten, M. (2009). Choking vs. clutch performance: a study of sport performance under pressure. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 31, 583-601.
Choking research in sport has suggested that an athlete’s tendency to choke, versus
Introduction According to (Weinberg & Gould, 2011), anxiety is a negative emotional state in which feelings of nervousness, worry, and apprehension are associated with the arousal of the body. There are two types of anxiety that can affect an individual, cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety. Cognitive anxiety is the negative thoughts or worries that change from moment-to-moment. Somatic anxiety is the degree of physical activation perceived such as “butterflies in the stomach (Weinberg & Gould, 2011).” Anxiety happens to everyone, especially in pressure situations. Athletes are constantly in pressure situations. For example, a basketball player finds himself on the free throw line, down by one, with 1 second to go in the game. The player begins to look around at all the screaming fans and starts to breathe heavily, becoming tense, and sweating profusely. Time begins to pass, negative thoughts are rushing in left and right and the player begins to think about mechanics. The player shoots the ball and misses the goal completely and the game is over. What made this player become so nervous? What can this player do differently next time? The answer is simple, anxiety and pressure. Anxiety and pressure play key roles in decreasing sport performance. Through extensive research, I have found five studies addressing factors that increase or decrease anxiety, thus affecting an athlete’s performance when under pressure. Knowing these factors can help athletes become more aware of the symptoms of anxiety, learn how to deal with these symptoms, and eventually being able to overcome anxiety, leading to increased sport performance.
Otten, M. (2009). Choking vs. clutch performance: a study of sport performance under pressure. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 31, 583-601.
Choking research in sport has suggested that an athlete’s tendency to choke, versus
References: Weinberg, R., & Gould, D. (2011). Arousal, Stress, and Anxiety. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (77-98) Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.