Stress In Sports Research Paper

Three…two…one…ERRRRRR! Sports are full of excitement and entertainment for both the fans and the athletes. Have you ever wondered how stressful playing a sport could be? Some might be surprised by the results. There are many different types of stressors that contribute to a player and their sports performance. Total stress load can cause athletes to be drained emotionally and at times it can be complicated for a person to deal with the stress that arises. Stress can also take a toll physically on athletes, whether it be muscle or bone related, pressure builds up and can have an effect on their performance. It’s hard to understand the amount of stress that can be put on an athlete without knowing what stress is, the types of stressors that
To put it in simple terms, stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change. According to TeensHealth, “Most people play sports with others for the thrill of having fun with those that they share interests with” (Lyness, 1). On the other hand, sometimes athletes that are playing get put under a lot of pressure via their coach, school or even their own parents to go out there and get a win every single time. Winning, of course leads to the entire team having fun, but if the stress and demand is so high from a player, it might not become as enjoyable for that specific player. While stress may be the downfall for some athletes’ performance, there are also many cases where stress can become positive for a player to meet the challenge. To understand how stress can be a positive factor in sports, it is crucial to know the difference between distress and eustress. In Jerrold Greenberg’s Comprehensive Stress Management, distress is described as bad things to which one has to adapt and that can lead to a stress reaction (Greenberg, 5). TeensHealth describes eustress as the good type of stress stemming from the challenge of taking part in something enjoyable but need to work hard for (Lyness, 1). To understand the effect that stress has on an athlete, one must understand the concept of what a stressor
According to Stress, Sports and Performance, “Developing coping techniques is the most crucial element in balancing stress levels so that they optimize instead of inhibit performance level” (Singh, 6). When dealing with the stress of competition, it is important to try four different ways to help ease that stress: positive self-talk, muscle relaxation, visualization, and deep breathing. Positive self-talk can help an athlete gain confidence in his/her performance by blocking out negative thoughts. Muscle relaxation is perhaps one of the biggest ways to help cope with stress for athletes. By flexing a group of muscles tightly for about 5 seconds it can release tension and stress from the player. The use of visualization when dealing with stress can be best described in the movie “Happy Gilmore”. When getting angry and stressed out, Happy uses visualization to cope with the pressure and stress of winning the tour championship and getting his grandmother’s house back. He closes his eyes and visualizes what is known as his “happy place” and allows him to relieve the stress built up and focus on winning the prize. Deep breathing is typically done when using muscle relaxation as well. It is vital to find a quiet place and inhale slowly through the nose. Another coping method that might help with athletes is goal setting. “Goal setting is another