Anxiety In Sport Essay

Sports Psychology is the scientific study of mind, emotion and behavior in relation to the psychological factors that are closely associated with sports performance (Afremow, 2013). As stated by Sports Psychologist Leif Smith, “The greatest tool any athlete can have is the mind, it’s the most powerful aspect of sports performance and has the ability to make you or break you”. The imperative focus that Sports Psychologists pursue, is approaching their clients maladaptive emotional state, which arises in competition, otherwise known as performance anxiety (Levnes, 2011) The perceived threat of a competitive scenario, which typically is associated with a heightened level of arousal, is where anxiety is seen to appear (David Smyth, 2010). In particular dancers are highly susceptible to developing mental health problems as a result of the intensified anxiety associated with their performance. The pressure enforced from parents and coaches, being on stage in front of hundreds or

Sports Psychology is seen to be most appreciated and effective when athletes whom encounter colossal feelings of pressure to succeed, confront help from a Sports Psychologist. Commonly this is acknowledged within dancers at an elite level however, at all levels of every sport, the application of Sports Psychology can be valuable to any athlete’s performance (AAC, 2015).

As stated by an Olympic athlete, “Sport Psychology gives me an advantage over myself that no physical training can ever provide. Sports psychology allows me to utilize all mental strengths. Giving myself a huge advantage over my biggest opponents, and usually the mind is our own biggest opponent” (Smyth,