" Pressure in Youth Sports "-Day 2

" What Is Stress? "

Changes, such as sudden trauma, several big crises, or many small daily hassles, cause stress. The human body has different ways of responding to stress; one quick responding nerve-hormonal system involving adrenaline, another long-lasting system involving cortisol, and perhaps others. These systems not only determine the intensity of our anxiety reactions but also our attitudes, energy level, depression, and physical health after the stressful events are over. Stress can also be a source of energy that can be directed towards useful purposes. How many of us would study or work hard if it were not for anxiety about the future? Life is a dynamic process and thus forever changing and stressful. Physiologic changes including an increased heart rate and blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar all take place. In other words, stress can also be described as a state of increased arousal. Up to a certain point stress is beneficial. We can perform with greater energy and increased awareness with the influx of excitatory hormones that release immediate energy.

Understanding Each Child – 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 child will be impacted by and deal with pressure situations differently. It is imperative to judge each child as an individual. Some kids are desperate to bat with the bases loaded or the pitch in a clutch situation. Does your child hope the ball is hit to him so that he can make the play or does hope it’s not hit in his direction so that he can’t make an error? My favorite Michael Jordan quote is: “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” You want to put kids into a position where they can succeed and to do that you need to understand who they are and how they are impacted by different pressure situations.

Another difference in children can be the way that they act in team vs. individual sports. A friend of mine has a child who is a very good athlete and highly competitive in tennis and golf, but “disappears” in soccer and basketball. The psychology behind this is simply that this person is able to perform when she knows that it’s all up to her. However, she doesn’t want to be the one who lets down the team by missing a shot. On the other hand, some children may react in just the opposite manner and not want the outcome to be totally determined by their own actions.

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?

5. Do you want to pitch?

6. Would you want to come in with the bases loaded and your team has a one run lead in the championship game? ........

" Pressure in Youth Sports " - Day 3 will coming shortly so stay tuned!

Ken Kaiserman

http://www.sportskids.com/

http://www.kidstore.blogspot.com/