Beyond the Fear: Understanding and Overcoming Sports Anxiety

Introduction

You pace the locker room or sit detached in the corner on a bench – stomach churning, breathing fast, desert-dry mouth, and a whirlwind of thoughts refusing to settle.

You are in the grip of pre-game jitters.

Worst of all, you are consumed by a feeling of dread that wraps around you like a thick fog, making the upcoming game feel like an impossible challenge.

Yet, you are not alone. Performance anxiety is widespread, and it affects athletes at all levels.

Despite having over 300 games under his belt, Andrew McLeod, the Australian Football League champion, said it became ‘normal’ for him to throw up before every match.

And research confirms it, too. A 2021 study found that the effects of anxiety are common throughout an athlete’s career and often worse in those at high levels of competition.

So, if even elite athletes suffer from anxiety, how can we help our students?

Thankfully, the same research found that mental skills coaching and performance enhancement strategies work: managing anxiety and restoring control.

We’ll dig deeper into several tools and exercises later, but first, let’s understand what makes up anxiety in sports.

‘Choking’ in sports

Seasoned sports psychologist Aidan Moran describes performance anxiety as the source of ‘choking’ under pressure, “a phenomenon in which athletes perform worse than expected in pressure situations that have a degree of perceived importance.”

And it can happen at any time.

Perhaps it’s in the final moments of a championship basketball game. The player stands at the free-throw line, the crowd roars, and the pressure is on. He’s successfully taken this shot hundreds of times in practice, but now all eyes are on him, along with the expectations of his team, parents, and coach.

His hands are clammy and shaking. He takes the shot, but it misses the mark.

In one way or another, all our athletes have been there. Probably more than once.

So, what’s going on?

His hands are clammy and shaking. He takes the shot, but it misses the mark. In one way or another, all our athletes have been there. Probably more than once.

So, what’s going on?
Psychology has found three overlapping outcomes for athletes experiencing anxiety:

● Cognitive anxiety (‘Mind worries’): the athlete worries or has negative expectations about something about to happen – most likely their performance.

What will others think of me? What could go wrong? Will I injure myself?
● Somatic anxiety (‘Physical jitters): they experience unpleasant physical states, such as tension in their shoulders, clammy hands, or butterflies in their stomachs.
● Behavioral anxiety (‘Action anxiety’): they talk too quickly, tense up their facial expressions, appear agitated and restless, and fidget.

Top tennis player Naomi Osaka was fined $1500 for not turning up for a press conference but later explained that due to severe anxiety, she needed to focus on the court rather than speaking in public.

She went on to explain, “I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world's media. I get really nervous and find it stressful to always try to engage and give you the best answers I can.” An athlete needs to find their control. It’s their game.

Whether a hoop star with a string of championship rings, the boxing champion who has held on to their belt through countless bouts, or the cool-headed quarterback who always seems to find the end zone – they all know what it’s like to have pre-game butterflies or mid-game nerves.

Yet, anxiety, whether pre-race (or pre-game) or during a performance, isn’t all bad. It’s possible to use it to push limits.

It can:

● Enhance focus: heightening the athlete’s senses and sharpening their concentration.

● Boost performance: stimulating their body’s fight or flight response.

● Increase readiness: helping them recognize that the event is important and preparing them mentally.

● Ramp up motivation: channeling their nervous energy and boosting motivation to help them compete at the top of their game.

● Develop resilience: teaching them to handle nerves will support their coping in high-pressure situations.

Moran says, “It is not the amount of arousal that affects performance but the way in which arousal is interpreted.”

What is key is how the athlete sees the anxiety and how they handle it.

Daniel Botomogno, author of “Being Clutch: How The Young Athlete Can Create Mental Toughness Through Visualization,” agrees, suggesting athletes must find a way to be kinder to themselves.

After all, the reason young high school or college athletes experience pre- or mid-game anxiety is because they care.

Handling anxiety

The first step in the process of handling anxiety and making it work for them is for athletes to admit they experience it.

They must recognize they are not alone.

A host of top athletes, including 28-time Olympian medalist Michael Phelps, two-time U.S. ladies figure skating champion Gracie Gold, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, all have spoken up about their challenges with anxiety.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Next, our high school and college athletes need to learn what performance anxiety means to them and take back control.

The following techniques will help:

1. Understand your competition anxiety

It is vital athletes understand their degree of performance anxiety: What are their triggers? And what does anxiety mean to them?

Ask your student to reflect on the following questions. Encourage them to open up and discuss their answers:

Understanding Anxiety:
When you hear 'anxiety,' what comes to mind?
Do you think getting nervous can help you do better, or does it usually throw you off your game?
Importance of Managing Anxiety:
On a scale from 0 to 5 (where 0 is 'not a big deal' and 5 is 'super crucial'), how important do you think handling nerves is for succeeding in your sport?
Pre-Event Mindset:
Right before a big game or match, do you like to be all fired up or totally chilled out? How does this impact your play?
Pre-Competition Triggers:
What kinds of things get you stressed before you compete?
Do these nerves pump you up or mess with your focus?
Mid-Competition Triggers:
What about during the event?
What throws you off your game when you’re in the middle of the action?
And how do you think that changes your performance?
Coping Strategies:
Have you got any tricks up your sleeve for handling your nerves when it comes to your sport?
How did you choose which one to use?

What you find out will help you choose the best techniques and activities to support your athlete.

And it’s vital not to judge. There is no right or wrong – it’s about them choosing their way forward.

2. Tools and techniques

As sports psychologists, we have plenty of tricks to share that have proven effective in helping athletes manage their anxiety and use it to perform at their best – more of the time.

Work with your athletes and ask them to explore the following:

Self-talk: you probably do this already, but sometimes it may be a negative voice your hear. Spend more time engaging in positive self-talk to boost your confidence and ramp up your motivation and engagement.

I've trained hard for this and am ready to show what I've got.

Each play is a new opportunity. Let's make this one count.

Breathe. Focus. Execute. I know I can do this.

I'm here because I've earned it, and I belong in this game.

Stay present, stay positive. This moment is mine.

Listen to music: finding the right music can help you manage those pre-race nerves.

For some, it might be upbeat pop songs with driving beats, classic rock anthems, gospel music, or ambient or nature sounds for athletes who prefer a sense of tranquility.

What works for you?

Keep a selection handy. Some for when you need to enter that calm state before you get on the track and others to evoke a sense of heroism and victory.

Visualization: or imagery is effective because the mind often forgets the difference between real and imagined.

With your eyes closed and sitting quietly, imagine a peaceful and tranquil setting – a real or imagined ‘happy place.’ It could be a walk along a beach or sitting by a crackling fire in mid-winter.

Visiting this place, even in your imagination, can calm your feeling of anxiousness and restore your focus on what you need to perform.

Building rituals: pre-game rituals are popular with many athletes. Botomogno describes how Tony Jefferson of the Baltimore Ravens watches his favorite TV before a game while Steven John “Turk,” a former relief pitcher for the New York Mets, would brush his teeth between innings.

Your rituals needn’t be as elaborate. It could be a set of pre-race stretches or finding a quiet space to do some breathing exercises. It’s about mentally getting ready for competition—a chance to reflect on why you are there and how you reached this point in your game.

Athletes who are kind to themselves and remain open to what is to come will most likely maintain control over their anxiety and use it to achieve their best performances.

Wrapping up

Often, when athletes are dealing with anxiety, it is about helping them understand what it means to them and restoring their sense of control.

If they can manage it, they can recognize pre-race anxiety as part of the excitement that gets them ready for the big game and harness it to deliver outstanding performances.

Indeed, research from 2023 shows that when seen positively, pre-game anxiety can predict performance in NBA athletes.

And a final word from basketball legend LeBron James:

“You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed – you’re not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that.”

References

Botomogno, D. (2022). Being clutch: How the young athlete can create mental toughness through visualization.
Gruda, D., & Ojo, A. (2023). All I do is win, win, win no matter what? Pre-game anxiety and experience predict athletic performance in the NBA. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, 5, 100120-.
Kremer, J., Moran, A. P., & Kearney, C. J. (2019). Pure sport: Practical sport psychology. London: Routledge.
Moran, A. P. (2012). Sport and exercise psychology: A critical introduction. New York: Psychology Press.
Ong, N. C. H., & Chua, J. H. E. (2021). Effects of psychological interventions on competitive anxiety in sport: A meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 52, 101836-.
Quotes by basketball players - brainyquote. (n.d.). https://www.brainyquote.com/profession/quotes-by-basketball-players
Wurzburger, A. (2022, May 3). “You have to share these things”: 15 times athletes opened up about Mental Health. Peoplemag. https://people.com/sports/athletes-quotes-on-mental-health/