Pressure is part of all sports and its impact in youth sports
is something we need to carefully evaluate. The spotlight is
brightest in baseball; there is simply no place to hide. For the
pitcher, batter, catcher and anybody the ball is hit to, all the
attention of parents and peers is riveted on that player. In
soccer, basketball or other sports, it’s easy enough to “blend
in”, but not in baseball. I have tremendous respect for every
kid who takes the risk and goes out to play ball – especially
the kids who are not as talented; it’s not easy. This is
especially true for a young pitcher who controls every aspect of
the game. Is there simply too much pressure put on kids to
early? I don’t think so. As we evaluate the physiological
aspects of pressure, the kid’s psychology, our own beliefs, and
effective ways to deal with pressure, I’ll let you know why.
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? Projection of
Parents, Friends and Relatives – Projection is one of the
defense mechanisms identified by Freud and still acknowledged
today. According to Freud, projection is when someone is
threatened by or afraid of their own impulses so they attribute
these impulses to someone else. For example, a parent or
grandparent who is so nervous about the outcome of a game can
project their own insecurity and stress onto a child when the
child isn’t bothered at all. For example, I know some
grandparents, who are admittedly risk averse themselves and
protective of their kids (no matter how old they are) are now at
least as protective of their grandchildren. They have a grandson
who is an excellent pitcher and loves to pitch, but they still
feel that he’s under too much pressure and maybe he shouldn’t
even be playing baseball. This is an example of projection of
their feelings about the child rather than actually finding out
how he feels. I know many parents who prefer their child not
come to bat in a tough situation just in case their kid makes
the last out. While this is very easy to understand since we all
want to protect our children, it often isn’t the kids feeling
the pressure, but the rest of us.
Dealing With Pressure – Webster’s Dictionary defines “Pressure”
as “the burden of physical or mental distress”. Even that
definition is interesting because it neglects the possibility
that people can perform well and even thrive under pressure and
stress. One misconception though with performing under pressure
is that stress always has a negative connotation. Many times,
"the stress of competition may cause a negative anxiety in one
performer but positive excitement in another". That is why one
frequently hears how elite players' thrive under pressure, when
most others would crumble. As individuals, our nervous systems
differ; however, according to Richard Dienstbier at the
University of Nebraska, we may be able to modify our
physiological reactions by learning coping skills. Not
surprisingly, exercise and sports participation are commonly
considered as activities to reduce stress from other areas in
life. However, if a child is feeling pressure while playing
sports, here are some solid stress relief techniques they can
employ: 1.Visualization – Before a game, visualize yourself in
stressful situations and dealing with them successfully. Put
yourself into that place mentally so that you can deal with it
better when it happens in reality. During the game, you can
remember back to how you’ve already dealt with this situation
and are mentally prepared for it. Just so you know where I’m
coming from, visualization is simply a shorter version of
meditation.
2.Breathing – If a kid is feeling stressed during a game,
feeling less anxious can often be as simple as taking a few deep
breaths. Deep breathing is a very effective method of
relaxation. It is a core component of everything from the 'take
ten deep breaths' approach to calming someone down, right
through to yoga relaxation and Zen meditation. It works well in
conjunction with other relaxation techniques such as Progressive
Muscular Relaxation, relaxation imagery and meditation to reduce
stress.
Conclusion - A lot has been made of the impact of pressure in
youth sports and the negative impact, but much of this is simply
projecting a parent or relative’s individual beliefs on the
situation. While you can argue that I’m doing the same thing,
but in reverse, I in fact take a different position which is: 1)
to acknowledge that pressure does exist, but 2) to determine how
each individual child can deal with the situation. Only by
knowing each child can you determine if the situation is, in
fact, distress rather than an adrenaline producing pressure
moment which the kid loves.
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