Pressure in
Kids Sports
November 23rd 2005
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Pressure is part of all sports and its impact in
kids’ sports is something we need to carefully evaluate. The
spotlight is brightest in baseball; there is simply no place to
hide. For the pitcher, batter, catcher and anybody the ball is hit
to, all the attention of parents and peers is riveted on that
player. In soccer, basketball or other sports, it’s easy enough to
“blend in”, but not in baseball. I have tremendous respect for every
kid who takes the risk and goes out to play ball especially the
kids who are not as talented; it’s not easy. Is there simply too
much pressure put on kids to early? I don’t think so. As we evaluate
the physiological aspects of pressure, the kid’s psychology, our own
beliefs, and effective ways to deal with pressure, I’ll let you know
why.
Understanding Each Kid There are genetic,
constitutional, and other factors that influence the pressure an
individual will feel in any situation and their reaction to that
stress. Some of us may have been born "nervous", “happy”,
“emotional”, or even "grouches." Almost certainly we are by nature
prone to be shy or outgoing, and we also inherit a propensity for
certain psychological effects, including our reaction to stress. So,
we have to expect that each Kid will be impacted by and deal with
pressure situations differently. It is imperative to judge each
child as an individual.
The easiest thing to do is very simple just ask the
kids. You may be surprised at how honest the answers will be. Here
are some questions to try:
1. When the game is tied and you’re playing in
the field, do you want the ball to be hit to you or would you prefer
that the ball is hit to one of your teammates?
2. If your team is losing by one run in the
bottom of the last inning, the bases are loaded, and there are two
out, do you want to be at bat?
3. If you’re on deck in the same situation, do
you want your teammate to win the game or do you want a chance to
get to the plate?
4. Would you prefer your teammate make the last
out of the game so that you don’t have to bat with the game on the
line?
Projection of Parents, Friends and Relatives
Projection is one of the defense mechanisms identified by Freud and
still acknowledged today. According to Freud, projection is when
someone is threatened by or afraid of their own impulses so they
attribute these impulses to someone else. I know many parents who
prefer their kids not come to bat in a tough situation just in case
their kid makes the last out. While this is very easy to understand
since we all want to protect our children, it often isn’t the kids
feeling the pressure, but the rest of us.
Dealing With Pressure One misconception though with
performing under pressure is that stress always has a negative
connotation. Many times, "the stress of competition may cause a
negative anxiety in one performer but positive excitement in
another". That is why one frequently hears how elite players' thrive
under pressure, when most others would crumble. As individuals, our
nervous systems differ; however, according to Richard Dienstbier at
the University of Nebraska, we may be able to modify our
physiological reactions by learning coping skills. Not surprisingly,
exercise and sports participation are commonly considered as
activities to reduce stress from other areas in life. However, if a
child is feeling pressure while playing sports, here are some solid
stress relief techniques they can employ:
1. Visualization Before a game, visualize
yourself in stressful situations and dealing with them successfully.
During the game, you can remember back to how you’ve already dealt
with this situation and are mentally prepared for it, visualization
is simply a shorter version of meditation.
2. Breathing If a kid is feeling stressed
during a game, feeling less anxious can often be as simple as taking
a few deep breaths. Deep breathing is a very effective method of
relaxation. It works well in conjunction with other relaxation
techniques such as Progressive Muscular Relaxation, relaxation
imagery and meditation to reduce stress.
Conclusion - A lot has been made of the impact of pressure in youth
sports and the negative impact, but much of this is simply projecting
a parent or relative’s individual beliefs on the situation. While you
can argue that I’m doing the same thing, but in reverse, I in fact
take a different position which is: 1) to acknowledge that pressure
does exist, but 2) to determine how each individual kid can deal with
the situation. Only by knowing each kid can you determine if the
situation is, in fact, distress rather than an adrenaline producing
pressure moment which the kid loves.
By Ken Kaiserman
Ken is the president of
SportsKids.com, a leading youth
sports website featuring games, sports news, sports camp and league
directories, community features, and the SportsKids.com Superstore with
over 150,000 products. Ken coaches youth football, basketball and
baseball. He also serves on the local little league board of directors
as well as the Park Advisory Board.
Contact Ken
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