Wager Mage
Wager Mage
Photo: Lucas Andrade
As you become more anxious, your body's fight-or-flight response might kick in. This response can lead to physical symptoms like sweating and shaking. Then, the in-the-moment impact. Physical and mental anxiety symptoms could easily distract you from the game and affect your ability to play.
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Read More »Share on Pinterest Amanda Mustard/Getty Images It’s the night of your big game. You’ve trained and practiced for months, and now everyone — your coach, your team, your audience — is watching you. A win or a loss could come down to a single, split-second reflex. Your heart starts racing, and you can’t stop thinking about how everyone will react if you choke. Sports performance anxiety, also called sports anxiety or competitive anxiety, is incredibly common. Estimates suggest anywhere from 30 to 60 percent of athletes experience it, according to a 2019 review. Of course, knowing you’re in good company might come as cold comfort when trying to move past those overwhelming feelings of nervousness and tension. But we’ve got some good news: You can take steps to handle and even prevent sports anxiety. What’s more, knowing why it happens can make a difference. Read on to get the details on sports performance anxiety, along with a few tips to overcome it so you can get your head back where you want it — in the game. What are the signs? Researchers often divide the signs of sports performance anxiety into mental and physical categories. Common physical signs of sports anxiety include: Tremors. Maybe your hands shake when you’re holding a tennis racket, or your foot twitches when you need to stand still. Maybe your hands shake when you’re holding a tennis racket, or your foot twitches when you need to stand still. Racing heart. Hormones like adrenaline and cortisol can make your heart beat faster. Hormones like adrenaline and cortisol can make your heart beat faster. Hyperventilation. You might feel as if you’re choking or can’t catch your breath. You might feel as if you’re choking or can’t catch your breath. Muscle tension. Your muscles may feel so tight they become painful, and you might also notice tension and pain in your head. Your muscles may feel so tight they become painful, and you might also notice tension and pain in your head. Bathroom troubles. When you go into fight-or-flight mode, your body may rush through digestion so it can focus all its resources on survival. You might notice cramping and a sudden, strong urge to visit the toilet. Common mental signs of sports anxiety include: Intense fear of failure. When you imagine losing, your mind may leap to the worst-case scenario. You might worry about letting your team down or others laughing at you. When you imagine losing, your mind may leap to the worst-case scenario. You might worry about letting your team down or others laughing at you. Disrupted focus. You might have trouble concentrating on the game, instead getting absorbed in how others react to your performance. You might have trouble concentrating on the game, instead getting absorbed in how others react to your performance. Overthinking. You may temporarily “forget” how to do actions you used to do automatically, like swinging a baseball bat or catching a ball. You may temporarily “forget” how to do actions you used to do automatically, like swinging a baseball bat or catching a ball. Reduced self-confidence. You could start doubting your abilities and wonder whether you can really win. Sports anxiety can eventually lead to: Self-sabotage. You may unconsciously set yourself up to fail by skipping breakfast or going to bed late the night before. Self-sabotage, in short, provides an “excuse” for a bad performance so you don’t lose face. Of course, a lack of preparation can also worsen your anxiety. You may unconsciously set yourself up to fail by skipping breakfast or going to bed late the night before. Self-sabotage, in short, provides an “excuse” for a bad performance so you don’t lose face. Of course, a lack of preparation can also worsen your anxiety. Lashing out. Sometimes people express their worries through anger, shouting at teammates, or getting physical with opponents. According to a 2019 report, this is especially likely if your coach yells at you a lot.
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Read More »Sometimes people express their worries through anger, shouting at teammates, or getting physical with opponents. According to a 2019 report, this is especially likely if your coach yells at you a lot. Poor performance. If you feel distracted and discouraged, chances are you won’t bring your A-game to the competition. What causes sports performance anxiety? Experts have come up with a few theories around why sports performance anxiety happens. Two of the most common ones include: Yerkes-Dodson law The Yerkes-Dodson law explains how stress and anxiety can affect performance. In a nutshell, your performance will likely suffer if your arousal levels are too low or too high. Your stress levels need to stay in a limited range in order for you to perform well. Low arousal. This means you find the sport boring, so you might not put forth your full effort. This means you find the sport boring, so you might not put forth your full effort. Optimal arousal. This means you feel engaged enough in the sport to push yourself a bit harder than usual. This means you feel engaged enough in the sport to push yourself a bit harder than usual. High arousal. This means the sport feels so stressful you may panic or freeze as a result. In this situation, you might experience sports anxiety. This law can apply to any kind of performing task, from a stage rehearsal to a boxing match. Keep in mind: Everyone has a different ideal level of stress. A match your teammate finds boring could feel overwhelming for you, in other words. Smith and Smoll model The Smith and Smoll model , first suggested in 1990, offered one of the first multidimensional models of sports performance anxiety. According to this model, multiple dimensions of anxiety can feed into one another. First, the mental element. You may anticipate how tough your upcoming match will be and wonder whether you can win. You could also start worrying about any consequences of losing. You may anticipate how tough your upcoming match will be and wonder whether you can win. You could also start worrying about any consequences of losing. Next, the physical symptoms. As you become more anxious, your body’s fight-or-flight response might kick in. This response can lead to physical symptoms like sweating and shaking. As you become more anxious, your body’s fight-or-flight response might kick in. This response can lead to physical symptoms like sweating and shaking. Then, the in-the-moment impact. Physical and mental anxiety symptoms could easily distract you from the game and affect your ability to play. As your performance declines, you may feel increasingly worried. Anxiety about losing, then, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Are certain people more likely to experience it? Sports anxiety may affect some people more than others. You might have a higher chance of experiencing other types of anxiety if you already live with an anxiety disorder, for example. Other potential risk factors include: Being an athlete. If doing well at sports makes up a big part of your identity, then a loss could serve a large blow to your self-esteem. After all, the outcome of a game may matter more to you than to someone who plays for fun. Age. A 2018 review of 59 studies found adolescent competitors are more likely to have sports anxiety than adults. They also tend to experience physical symptoms more often.
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Read More »A 2018 review of 59 studies found adolescent competitors are more likely to have sports anxiety than adults. They also tend to experience physical symptoms more often. Experience. Someone attending their first competition may have a higher chance of experiencing sports anxiety than a longtime competitor. The level of competition, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to play a part. In other words, junior varsity players are just as likely to experience it as college players. Someone attending their first competition may have a higher chance of experiencing sports anxiety than a longtime competitor. The level of competition, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to play a part. In other words, junior varsity players are just as likely to experience it as college players. Gender. A 2019 review found that girls tend to report sports anxiety more frequently, though experts aren’t entirely sure why. Girls might have a higher risk of anxiety in general, or they could simply face less stigma around expressing emotions. Even if you don’t identify with any of these traits, you can still have sports performance anxiety. Certain factors can increase the risk for anyone: An important game. Big games often yield big rewards. A finals match could win you a medal, prize money, or even a scholarship. This can create a lot of pressure. Big games often yield big rewards. A finals match could win you a medal, prize money, or even a scholarship. This can create a lot of pressure. Social expectations. When a whole stadium comes to watch you play, it’s easy to feel like a single game will make or break your reputation. This is especially true in communities that consider sports a big deal. When a whole stadium comes to watch you play, it’s easy to feel like a single game will make or break your reputation. This is especially true in communities that consider sports a big deal. Helicopter parents. In child sports, parents can contribute to plenty of anxiety. It can feel mortifying to witness your parent screaming at the referee every time the opposing team scores. Even if your parent behaves well in public, you may worry about them criticizing your performance in private. In child sports, parents can contribute to plenty of anxiety. It can feel mortifying to witness your parent screaming at the referee every time the opposing team scores. Even if your parent behaves well in public, you may worry about them criticizing your performance in private. Past failure. If you’ve messed up in the past, those mistakes could loom large in your head. You might feel obligated to “redeem” yourself with a better performance this time around. If you’ve messed up in the past, those mistakes could loom large in your head. You might feel obligated to “redeem” yourself with a better performance this time around. Solo competition. When you compete by yourself, you don’t have any teammates to cover for your mistakes. Victory depends on you and you alone.
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