How to Overcome Performance Anxiety in Kids During Sports Events

Introduction

A holistic regime for a child includes a balance of different types of activities such as studies, sports, extracurricular, other such things. In between all these activities, it is also a must for the child to take proper rest to be able to improve their performance. Creating a positive environment is always helpful for a child to do better in life. The inherent confidence and external encouragement from parents can help a child stay focused and work relentlessly to enhance their output.

However, sometimes a child may feel a bit anxious before an important sport event or activity. This is totally normal and a lot of kids and even adults experience it from time to time. In this scenario, it's important to focus on solutions rather than the problem and criticizing the child for the same. Any such instance requires immediate attention of parents otherwise it may create a problem in the future. In some cases, such negative feelings might become so juggernaut that a kid might go through panic attacks or even palpitations. Hence, managing performance anxiety among kids is extremely important to make sure it doesn't affect their performance negatively.

How To Manage Performance Anxiety Among Kids

Proper management of performance anxiety is critical to make sure that a child is oblivious and protected from outside noise and just focuses on playing the game and enjoying the time. Here are some effective techniques for parents and children to manage performance anxiety.

• Being Mindful

Practicing mindfulness and navigating one's thoughts works well for a kid who is constantly involved in sports competitions and activities. Parents must encourage the child to sit with their thoughts and reflect as much as possible. This helps the child navigate the emotional turmoil and make a critical analysis of one's fears and apprehensions. If needed, parents must also guide their children through the process of writing down their thoughts and a piece of paper for catharsis and feeling better.

• Fostering a Positive Environment

Sometimes a child may accumulate unnecessary performance pressure from the people around them. This may include parents, coaches, and even friends. Hence, parents must be extremely mindful of their words and behavior with the child. Try not to put any excessive pressure or expect too many results from your kid. Also, have transparent communications with your kid’s coach to create a cohesive environment for the child to flourish and develop a mindset of practicing hard and enjoying the sport at the same time.

• Mediation

Instilling the practice of meditation may help in calming down a child's mind. It can also help a child regulate their emotions and work on focusing attention only towards playing the sport. Many times, a child's performance is negatively affected because of performance pressure and deviated attention. A child might listen to external voices a lot more than their internal voice. Doing meditation and taking deep breaths before getting onto the field can stabilize the mind of a child and give them the needed boost of energy and focus.

• Arriving Early at the Event

On the day of the competition, arriving early at the event place, going through the field, and becoming familiar with the surroundings can also help in calming down the child. A child might become overwhelmed because of being exposed to a new environment and suffer from performance pressure because of a lack of familiarity. Becoming familiar with the field, the dressing room, and other important stuff can help a child feel confident. It also gives the child the time to mentally prepare themself.

• Indulging in Positive Self Talk

Self-talk is a process in which a child speaks positive affirmations and gives an encouraging speech to oneself in mind or out loud. This can include encouraging words, such as ‘I am confident’, or ‘I am capable of achieving good things in life’. Internal motivation and encouragement are as important as external motivation and encouragement. A child should be encouraged to inculcate a sense of self-trust and always engage in positive habits such as an encouraging self-talk session just before the game is about to begin.

• Ensuring Overall Well-Being

Overall well-being encompasses looking after one's diet and always staying hydrated. It also means that a kid has to ensure that they are taking enough rest in between practice sessions for proper muscle recovery. Looking after one's well-being is necessary to avoid symptoms of anxiety. Not being in one's best physical form impacts sports performances and can worsen performance anxiety among kids. On the other hand, being in optimal health can increase one's confidence and ability to perform better.

• Having a Game Plan

Strategizing games gives one an extra boost of confidence and concentrate better even if things get a bit haywire. Before the final day of the game, a kid must constantly indulge in devising a strategy that specifically caters to the opponent. Try to study their moves and what can work against them on the field. Kids must not try to overcomplicate it a lot, but having some pre-preparation always boosts confidence and gives that edge over the others.

Conclusion

Parents and coaches can collectively work together to recognize early signs of performance anxiety among kids and offer the required help to make them feel better. However, if a child is going through a prolonged series of stress, it is always better to refer to a psychologist or a medical practitioner for better guidance.