Anxiety,
stress and worry about the athletic experience on the part of athletes is a
major area of concern. It is estimated that many young athletes drop out of
organized sport each year due to frustration and fear of failure. Many young
athletes thrive on the pressure and tension association with competitive sport.
However, far too many find that the experience precipitates feelings of
apprehension and stress.
In this article I discuss the phenomenon
of anxiety and how it affects the athletic experience. I present numerous
strategies designed to intervene and reverse the negative effects of anxiety on
the athlete. To a large extent, intervention strategies are used to counter the
effects of runaway anxiety and associated arousal. However, it is also
important to realize that psychological intervention strategies can also be
used to motivate and increase the attentional readiness of the athlete.
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