Addressing Fear in High School Athletes

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- Coach T

🔨 ADDRESSING FEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES

Fear is a natural emotion that many high school athletes encounter. It can stem from the fear of failure, judgment, injury, or even success.

While fear can sometimes serve as a motivator, it often hinders performance and mental health if left unaddressed.

Understanding why fear happens and equipping our young athletes with strategies to manage it is essential for their growth, both on and off the field.

Why Does Fear Happen?

Fear in high school athletes often arises from external pressures and internal expectations. I think there are 4 boxes that we can put fear into:

• Fear of Failure: Many athletes fear letting down their team, coach, parents, or even themselves. This fear is often tied to perfectionism and the unrealistic expectation that mistakes are unacceptable.

• Fear of Judgment: Athletes may worry about how others perceive them, especially in competitive environments where performance is highly judged. For high school athletes specifically I think this one and failure are the two most common ones.

• Fear of Injury: For those in physically demanding sports, the possibility of injury can create anxiety that limits participation or performance.

• Fear of Success: Interestingly enough, some athletes fear the pressure that comes with success, such as maintaining high standards or facing increased competition. They may enjoy the rewards of success, but the standards that come with sustaining it cripples them.

These fears are compounded by many factors and expectations that equate athletic success with self-worth.

Many young athletes tie their identity to their performance, which can lead to low self-esteem when outcomes don't meet expectations. That’s exactly where fear originates.

How Can Athletes Address Fear?

Overcoming fear requires a combination of mental strategies, emotional support, and a shift in perspective. While I don’t have all of the answers to addressing fear, I think these are a few options to start at:

1. Acknowledge and Understand Fear

Identifying the emotion that they are feeling has to be step 1. By identifying whether the fear stems from failure, judgment, or another source, they can begin to address it directly. Talking openly with coaches or mentors about these fears can help normalize them. They then can understand what they’re feeling, why they’re feeling it, and then work through the process of changing their mindset to address it.

2. Reframe Fear as Growth

When they do that, they can then work through the reframing process. Instead of viewing fear as a negative force, athletes can reframe it as an opportunity for growth. Fear often indicates that they are stepping out of their comfort zone which is a necessary step for improvement in any domain.

3. Focus on the Process

Shifting focus from outcomes (winning or losing) to the process (effort and improvement) can reduce performance anxiety. Setting small, achievable goals helps athletes stay grounded and motivated. Those goals should be grounded in things within their control like the effort they give and the attitude and approach that they have.

4. Build Mental Resilience

Techniques like mindfulness, visualization, and positive self-talk are powerful tools for managing fear.

• Mindfulness: Practices such as prayer, deep breathing, and meditation help calm nerves and improve focus during high-pressure situations.

• Visualization: Mentally rehearsing successful games and performances in their mind can build confidence and reduce anxiety.

• Positive Self-Talk: Replacing negative thoughts with positive talk fosters a constructive mindset to improve.

At the end of the day, one of the most critical lessons for high school athletes is understanding that their worth as individuals extends far beyond what they achieve on the field. They are first and foremost children of God. From there, we can then approach athletics through a proper lens.

As coaches and parents, we should emphasize qualities like resilience, leadership, kindness, and empathy - traits that endure beyond any game or season.

Athletes should also be reminded that mistakes are part of learning and growth. By embracing imperfection and focusing on effort rather than results, they can foster a healthier relationship with competition.

Fear is a common experience for high school athletes but it does not have to define their journey.

The ultimate goal is to help them see themselves not just as competitors but as well-rounded individuals whose value lies in being loved children of God - not what they achieve on the scoreboard.

Happy Friday!

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I pray that your day is full of reminders of God’s love and faithfulness. May you faithfully build your life on Christ.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

To God be the glory,

Coach T