Performance anxiety really is a subset of social anxiety. In fact, most social situations have a performance element to them. You have some people who struggle with, say, social anxiety, generally speaking, despite performing or not, it’s just the presence of other people. Whereas performance anxiety is specific to performance situations, whether that be a sport, whether that be giving a speech or meeting a new person or something to that effect. It’s the presence of other people and the perception that there’s going to be some form of negative evaluation that I’m anxious about, and therefore I either avoid it significantly or I endure it with a whole lot of distress in that situation. We all have social anxiety, we all get anxious about performing. The thing is though, is that when it goes into the disorder realm, it can become social anxiety disorder to the point of not wanting to perform at all or even getting sick.
I think in today’s society, there’s a lot of not only actual pressure with today’s athletes, but also perceived pressure. We have a lot of things with social media and we also have a lot of parents, unfortunately, that live vicariously through their kids. I think, ultimately, if I perceive my performance as a part of my identity, that’s going to make me perfectionistic and make me exceptionally anxious. I think one very important point is that parents and coaches need to take the pressure off by not having unrealistic expectations for the athlete. I mean, they play the sport because they love the game and they love the competition that goes with that, as opposed to saying that if you don’t perform well, that must mean this about me. I think really helping athletes separate how you perform is not who you are.
One good example, let’s say golf, would be rather than saying, “I’m trash, I’m garbage,” it’s saying, “Good golfer, bad performance.” There’s a difference. It’s acknowledging that I could have performed better, but that’s not who I am as an athlete. I think really teaching young athletes in particular that what you do on the court or field is not who you are. Also, not saying things that are going to be added pressure, having a process mentality as opposed to an outcome mentality, focusing on what works as opposed to not doing that. For example, “Stop turning the ball over,” is one thing a coach would say, versus, “Have better ball control.” That’s much more reinforcing and encouraging as opposed to punitive.
I think as a parent, I think it’s really important to really pay attention to the two main criteria anytime something becomes a problem as it relates to anxiety and other emotional experiences for a student athlete. I think, number one, significant distress. If you like, a lot of parents will say, especially moms, they’ll say, “I know my child.” If I can tell that they’re significantly uncomfortable and they’re different than what they used to be at baseline, they know something’s off. They’re either complaining about it a lot, they’re either not their usual selves at home, their coaches are probably saying things like, “Hey, I don’t know what’s going on with Joey, but he seems off and I can’t get him really to say anything. He’s not usually that way,” they might shut down. The significant distress, personal distress, I’m bothered by it or others can tell.
The other part is impairment, there’s significant impairment. Parents need to look out for, is this really affecting how they perform not only on the field of the court, but also in the classroom, because performance anxiety also manifest in test situations. It’s like I might study and do well and know all the material, but I go blank when I’m in an exam situation. Looking for warning signs like that.
For much younger athletes, I’d say elementary school-level athletes, it’s really difficult to really say, “Hey, I’m feeling really anxious right now on the field. Mom, can you help?” That’s really difficult because most children somaticize, they express feelings and emotions through bodily sensations. The low-hanging fruit for us as educators, as coaches, as teammates, et cetera, is to teach younger athletes, little littles to be able to recognize things through what I call a body scan, teaching them a diagram of a body and saying, “Where are you feeling that way when you’re about to perform? Point to it. Is it here? Is it your heart? Is it your stomach? Is it in your head?” I think helping a younger athlete identify through a body scan what’s actually happening, where that distress is, will actually help them become better at identifying when they’re having strong emotions that usually is expressed through bodily complaints.
A parent and a coach can identify when anxieties become more problematic when things like the following take place. First of all, it there’s sleep disturbance, that’s a huge issue. Being anxious about an exam or a performance is one thing, but not being able to sleep is an issue. Secondly, if eating problems emerge, like if I’m not hungry, I’m not eating food, I don’t have a high caloric intake when I normally do, that means that the anxiety is probably slowing down my digestion and I’m probably way too anxious and my arousal’s way too high. Or third, it’s I have bodily sensations that are uncomfortable in my stomach. If I have to use the restroom a lot, for instance, that’s probably an issue. A lot of athletes get so jacked up with anxiety that they actually throw up before competition and that’s a huge problem.
Successful athletes recognize that anxiety is a normal part of competition. Jitters, anxiety, can help you perform really well. The issue was more so saying when does the arousal get so high in your body that it’s impacting how I know you can perform? What we’re getting at is brain associations, because oftentimes when we struggle in areas where we have a heightened anxiety, heightened arousal, really what’s happened in our brain, our limbic system, our hypothalamus, our amygdala, our hippocampus, we have memories of when we messed up, we have strong arousal when we’ve messed up, and then our body tells us that we must’ve messed up. What we’re trying to do is reprogram those associations through teaching a new association. In order to do that, we have to teach our brain what is it that you need to learn.
When I do things like anchoring in the present, it’s often to get a parent or a coach to ask three very important questions. One is, did what you most worry about occur, yes or no? Once they say no, then it’s, how do you know? “Well, I actually did well on this game.” What did you learn? That’s a very basic sounding question, but the what did I learn is very powerful for my brain, which is trying to teach me a new non-threatening association. What did I learn? Once they repeat that same procedure over and over and over, all of a sudden, my brain has stockpiled all these new associations that tell me that making mistakes are fine.
I think that the current generation of athletes now, I think it’s heading in a positive direction. I will say though that we also know that a lot of the athletes in this generation, in the emerging adult category, are also among the most anxious. There’s a lot more pressure with this generation. There’s a lot more information on social media that can be good and bad, and there’s a lot more with technology that can be good and bad. I think that though this generation has a whole lot more in terms of resources to perform at an optimal level, I think raising awareness with mental health is essential with this generation because there’s more reasons to be anxious. I think that if we can remove the stigma and educate parents, coaches, teams, and athletes about the importance of balance, flexibility, I think that this generation is going to be very successful with athletes.
Dr. Kevin Chapman explains the source of performance anxiety and offers advice to parents and coaches on how to help young athletes manage anxiety in sports, school, and other social environments.
Learn more about Dr. Kevin Chapman.
Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.
So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.
By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.
Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.
So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.
I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.
Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.
I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.
I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.
Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.
You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.
I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?
At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.
At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.
When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.
Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.
