Stress, mindset, and youth athletes performing under pressure

Sport and physical activity are used as a way to exercise and offer stress relief. In many cases, they help. Sport can create a sense of community, improve self-confidence, and provide an avenue for exercise. Despite the many benefits of sport participation, youth athletes are not immune to experiencing stress and possible poor mental health.

 Research shows that mental ill-health is the most prominent health condition in developed countries among youth athletes aged 14-25. Much of this can be a result of performance-related stressors like the demands to achieve a certain level of success, suffering injuries, and mental fatigue. These factors can take a toll on the youth athlete and lead to burnout and loss of self-confidence.

 Cognitive Behavioral interventions can help reduce these stressors and improve the mindset of youth athletes by practicing self-compassion.

 Self-compassion consists of three pillars:

·         Self-kindness

·         Common humanity

·         Mindfulness

Self-kindness helps youth athletes be more accepting toward themselves in difficult situations. Common humanity promotes the idea that many people experience thoughts and feelings similar to what the athlete is experiencing, such as pre-competition anxiety. Mindfulness encourages the athlete to stay balanced in their thoughts and feelings during stressful situations, and encourages self-awareness.

All of these are important to consider and factors that can be improved through mental performance skills training. The idea of mental performance training is still relatively new, especially within youth sports. As the pressures of sport in this age range continue to increase, working to improve the mental side of the game will become increasingly important. Some of the areas youth athletes can benefit from include goal setting, visualization, positive self-talk, and reflection.