Introduction
Performance anxiety is a common problem for young athletes. They become highly afraid or nervous before or during sports activities. Performance anxiety decreases the standard of the game and makes them less enjoyable. The young athlete may also experience different types of pressures. For instance, some young athletes desire to fulfill the expectations of the coach, parents, as well as their own. The high levels of performance anxiety can be damaging because they make the athlete extremely nervous during sports performances. Performance anxiety is, therefore, an important area of consideration in athletics-a consideration that will enhance athletic performance by ensuring that sports remain a source of positive enrichment in the lives of sports lovers.
What is Performance Anxiety?
Performance anxiety or "choking" is the condition of extreme nervousness or fear that leads to failure in executing a performance for an athlete. This normally starts with the fear of failure, high expectations, and pressure for performance. Some of the symptoms are sweating, shaking, rapid heartbeat, etc., as physical signs, and negative self-talk, difficulty concentrating, and overwhelming fear of making mistakes, which are the mental signs. Performance anxiety among athletes is not only about elites but all athletes, including beginners or pros. As such, many develop performance pressure generated by coaches, parents, peers, or other athletes--even one's best enemy, his or her own self. Therefore, managing performance anxiety among young athletes integrates ways to overcome fears, build confidence, and promote positive moments while playing the game.
How to Address Performance Anxiety in Young Athletes
Develop Positivity
Positive thinking is among the best ways to guide young players on how to deal with performance anxiety. As part of building a positive mindset, an athlete needs to be convinced to participate in a game because he is enjoying himself and wants to get better at his game. Along with this approach, positive reinforcement, where effort and improvement are praised rather than the outcome itself, can shift the focus away from avoiding failure. Teaching positive self-talk is good too. For example, replacing I can't do this with I am prepared and capable may help to enhance one's self-confidence and reduce anxiety.
Teach Relaxation Techniques
A lot of relief from performance anxiety can be achieved by undertaking relaxation techniques. These techniques include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization, which will enable athletes to calm their nerves before the competition and during the competition itself. The exercises must be done prior to the day of the competition and are those that: first, deep breathing, second, progressive muscle relaxation, and lastly, visualization. Deep breathing is a process for which an athlete inhales deeply and slowly to address his shallow breathing and racing heartbeat. Progressive muscle relaxation is tensing and relaxing of the different muscle groups to facilitate reducing physical tension in the body of the athlete. In contrast, visualization techniques give the athlete confidence because he sees himself successfully performing in the competition, with the result that anxiety disappears. Even these techniques become most effective if regularly practiced during the week of the competition.
Set Real Goals
Pressure is a major predictor of performance anxiety, so realistic, achievable goals reduce pressure. Instead of focusing on outcomes, the child sets some process-oriented goals such as mastering a certain skill or completing a personal best. This reduces the fear of failure and places more focus on personal growth and effort. Including athletes in the goal-setting process will also enable them to have a sense of control and ownership of their own progress, decreasing the anxiety even more. The athletes scoring small achievements and progress reports will help gain confidence and keep them motivated.
Create a Supportive Environment
The young athletes need a supportive environment that enables them to overcome performance anxiety. Coaches and parents should be supportive by encouraging, understanding, and providing constructive feedback instead of criticizing them with many unrealistic expectations. Communication has to be open; the athletes have to be able to discuss their concerns and worries freely without fear of retaliation. The team could also be made to develop a culture of supportiveness for each other. If athletes feel that their teammates, coaches, and parents also back them up, then they are bound to feel confident about themselves with less reason to be anxious about their performance.
Develop Coping Strategies
Teaching young athletes' effective ways of coping will help them deal with the anxiety that comes along with competing. Focusing on the present moment and breaking your tasks into small and easy steps, among others, are effective options. In most instances, getting ready for any game tends to instill a sense of familiarity and control, hence reducing the level or amount of anxiety. One way of encouraging this is by urging the athletes to produce some rate of operations before every game. This may be some warm-up exercises or some mental preparation techniques. Equally, the fear of failure can be diminished by teaching them to accept and handle mistakes as valuable learning experiences. Which reminds every athlete that setbacks will be encountered but these are opportunities for growth and strengthening of the body, mind, and spirit, thus building resilience and confidence.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
