| Pressure is part of all sports and its impact | | | | be at bat? |
| in youth sports is something we need to | | | | |
| carefully evaluate. The spotlight is | | | | 3. If you're on deck in the same situation, |
| brightest in baseball; there is simply no | | | | do you want your teammate to win the game or |
| place to hide. For the pitcher, batter, | | | | do you want a chance to get to the plate? |
| catcher and anybody the ball is hit to, all | | | | |
| the attention of parents and peers is riveted | | | | 4. Would you prefer your teammate make the |
| on that player. In soccer, basketball or | | | | last out of the game so that you don't have |
| other sports, it's easy enough to "blend in", | | | | to bat with the game on the line? |
| but not in baseball. I have tremendous | | | | |
| respect for every kid who takes the risk and | | | | 5. Do you want to pitch? |
| goes out to play ball - especially the kids | | | | |
| who are not as talented; it's not easy. This | | | | 6. Would you want to come in with the bases |
| is especially true for a young pitcher who | | | | loaded and your team has a one run lead in |
| controls every aspect of the game. Is there | | | | the championship game? |
| simply too much pressure put on kids to | | | | |
| early? I don't think so. As we evaluate the | | | | Projection of Parents, Friends and Relatives |
| physiological aspects of pressure, the kid's | | | | - Projection is one of the defense mechanisms |
| psychology, our own beliefs, and effective | | | | identified by Freud and still acknowledged |
| ways to deal with pressure, I'll let you know | | | | today. According to Freud, projection is when |
| why. | | | | someone is threatened by or afraid of their |
| | | | own impulses so they attribute these impulses |
| What Is Stress? - Changes, such as sudden | | | | to someone else. For example, a parent or |
| trauma, several big crises, or many small | | | | grandparent who is so nervous about the |
| daily hassles, cause stress. The human body | | | | outcome of a game can project their own |
| has different ways of responding to stress; | | | | insecurity and stress onto a child when the |
| one quick responding nerve-hormonal system | | | | child isn't bothered at all. For example, I |
| involving adrenaline, another long-lasting | | | | know some grandparents, who are admittedly |
| system involving cortisol, and perhaps | | | | risk averse themselves and protective of |
| others. These systems not only determine the | | | | their kids (no matter how old they are) are |
| intensity of our anxiety reactions but also | | | | now at least as protective of their |
| our attitudes, energy level, depression, and | | | | grandchildren. They have a grandson who is an |
| physical health after the stressful events | | | | excellent pitcher and loves to pitch, but |
| are over. Stress can also be a source of | | | | they still feel that he's under too much |
| energy that can be directed towards useful | | | | pressure and maybe he shouldn't even be |
| purposes. How many of us would study or work | | | | playing baseball. This is an example of |
| hard if it were not for anxiety about the | | | | projection of their feelings about the child |
| future? Life is a dynamic process and thus | | | | rather than actually finding out how he |
| forever changing and stressful. Physiologic | | | | feels. I know many parents who prefer their |
| changes including an increased heart rate and | | | | child not come to bat in a tough situation |
| blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle | | | | just in case their kid makes the last out. |
| tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and | | | | While this is very easy to understand since |
| increased blood sugar all take place. In | | | | we all want to protect our children, it often |
| other words, stress can also be described as | | | | isn't the kids feeling the pressure, but the |
| a state of increased arousal. Up to a certain | | | | rest of us. |
| point stress is beneficial. We can perform | | | | |
| with greater energy and increased awareness | | | | Dealing With Pressure - Webster's Dictionary |
| with the influx of excitatory hormones that | | | | defines "Pressure" as "the burden of physical |
| release immediate energy. | | | | or mental distress". Even that definition is |
| | | | interesting because it neglects the |
| Understanding Each Child - There are genetic, | | | | possibility that people can perform well and |
| constitutional, and other factors that | | | | even thrive under pressure and stress. One |
| influence the pressure an individual will | | | | misconception though with performing under |
| feel in any situation and their reaction to | | | | pressure is that stress always has a negative |
| that stress. Some of us may have been born | | | | connotation. Many times, "the stress of |
| "nervous", "happy", "emotional", or even | | | | competition may cause a negative anxiety in |
| "grouches." Almost certainly we are by nature | | | | one performer but positive excitement in |
| prone to be shy or outgoing, and we also | | | | another". That is why one frequently hears |
| inherit a propensity for certain | | | | how elite players' thrive under pressure, |
| psychological effects, including our reaction | | | | when most others would crumble. As |
| to stress. So, we have to expect that each | | | | individuals, our nervous systems differ; |
| child will be impacted by and deal with | | | | however, according to Richard Dienstbier at |
| pressure situations differently. It is | | | | the University of Nebraska, we may be able to |
| imperative to judge each child as an | | | | modify our physiological reactions by |
| individual. Some kids are desperate to bat | | | | learning coping skills. Not surprisingly, |
| with the bases loaded or the pitch in a | | | | exercise and sports participation are |
| clutch situation. Does your child hope the | | | | commonly considered as activities to reduce |
| ball is hit to him so that he can make the | | | | stress from other areas in life. However, if |
| play or does hope it's not hit in his | | | | a child is feeling pressure while playing |
| direction so that he can't make an error? My | | | | sports, here are some solid stress relief |
| favorite Michael Jordan quote is: "I've | | | | techniques they can employ: |
| missed more than 9000 shots in my career. | | | | |
| I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've | | | | 1. Visualization - Before a game, visualize |
| been trusted to take the game winning shot | | | | yourself in stressful situations and dealing |
| and missed. I've failed over and over and | | | | with them successfully. Put yourself into |
| over again in my life. And that is why I | | | | that place mentally so that you can deal with |
| succeed." You want to put kids into a | | | | it better when it happens in reality. During |
| position where they can succeed and to do | | | | the game, you can remember back to how you've |
| that you need to understand who they are and | | | | already dealt with this situation and are |
| how they are impacted by different pressure | | | | mentally prepared for it. Just so you know |
| situations. | | | | where I'm coming from, visualization is |
| | | | simply a shorter version of meditation. |
| Another difference in children can be the way | | | | |
| that they act in team vs. individual sports. | | | | 2. Breathing - If a kid is feeling stressed |
| A friend of mine has a child who is a very | | | | during a game, feeling less anxious can often |
| good athlete and highly competitive in tennis | | | | be as simple as taking a few deep breaths. |
| and golf, but "disappears" in soccer and | | | | Deep breathing is a very effective method of |
| basketball. The psychology behind this is | | | | relaxation. It is a core component of |
| simply that this person is able to perform | | | | everything from the 'take ten deep breaths' |
| when she knows that it's all up to her. | | | | approach to calming someone down, right |
| However, she doesn't want to be the one who | | | | through to yoga relaxation and Zen |
| lets down the team by missing a shot. On the | | | | meditation. It works well in conjunction with |
| other hand, some children may react in just | | | | other relaxation techniques such as |
| the opposite manner and not want the outcome | | | | Progressive Muscular Relaxation, relaxation |
| to be totally determined by their own | | | | imagery and meditation to reduce stress. |
| actions. | | | | |
| | | | Conclusion - A lot has been made of the |
| The easiest thing to do is very simple - just | | | | impact of pressure in youth sports and the |
| ask the kids. You may be surprised at how | | | | negative impact, but much of this is simply |
| honest the answers will be. Here are some | | | | projecting a parent or relative's individual |
| questions to try: | | | | beliefs on the situation. While you can argue |
| | | | that I'm doing the same thing, but in |
| 1. When the game is tied and you're playing | | | | reverse, I in fact take a different position |
| in the field, do you want the ball to be hit | | | | which is: 1) to acknowledge that pressure |
| to you or would you prefer that the ball is | | | | does exist, but 2) to determine how each |
| hit to one of your teammates? | | | | individual child can deal with the situation. |
| | | | Only by knowing each child can you determine |
| 2. If your team is losing by one run in the | | | | if the situation is, in fact, distress rather |
| bottom of the last inning, the bases are | | | | than an adrenaline producing pressure moment |
| loaded, and there are two out, do you want to | | | | which the kid loves. |