Sports Psychology
Being a successful athlete is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year job that entails the employment of a clear mind. That job is not only for the athlete, but also for those who influence athletes such as parents, brothers, sisters, bosses, and more. An athlete will compete and train optimally with a clear mind. If an athlete engages in a fight at home with parents or siblings prior to competition, then chances are they will not compete with a clear mind on the field. This will cause a reduction in performance through various mind-body mechanisms. When the athletic mind is cluttered with stress or anxiety it does not perform well and in some sports it can increase the chance of injury.
Athletes can lose motivation, focus, determination, and more. In fact stress and anxiety can cause physical changes in the body such as trigger points or muscle spasms. Stress and anxiety can cause the visual field to narrow and can slow down reaction times. These can greatly reduce performance. There are many psychological factors that affect performance. A strong knowledge of them can help maintain or increase performance and prevent injuries in the future.
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