Pressure in Sports for Athletes

How to Manage Pressure Like MVP James Harden

How to Manage Pressure Like

How to Control Your Focus Have you ever been recognized for your individual talent or accomplishments? Did that “satisfy” you? Or, were you unfulfilled? James Harden was recognized as the NBA’s MVP this past season. Harden declared himself the best player in the league four years ago, and refused to back down until his doubters turned to believers. … Sport Psychology Article…

How to Help Athletes Stay Aggressive

Sports Psychology Podcast

Helping Athletes Overcome End of Game Pressure In this week’s sports psychology podcast, mental game of sports expert Dr. Patrick Cohn talks with Dr. Megan Melchiorre. Do you have teams that tend to get tight at the end of a set when maybe they didn’t expect to win against the opponent and they tighten up and end up … Sport Psychology Article…

How High Expectations Sabotage Athletes’ Mental Game

Managing High Expectations in Sports

Overcoming High Expectations in Sports “Shoot for the moon… Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Many athletes adopt this philosophy. Unfortunately, athletes with this type of mentality heap excessive demands upon themselves believing this method will still result personal best or optimal performances. The reality is that excessively high expectations rarely result in high-level performance. … Sport Psychology Article…

Managing the Many Roles Athletes Have

Defining Your Roles in and Out of Sports Athletes have many roles beyond sports… Every athlete has multiple roles in their lives, such as student, friend, parent, spouse, club member, employee, etc. Each additional role increases the responsibilities placed upon you. And more demands can translate to more pressure. If you are to be successful in your sport, … Sport Psychology Article…

How Kyrie Irving Copes With Pressure

Minimizing Pressure in Sports

How to Minimize Game Time Pressure Many times, athletes attribute poor performance to pressure and nervousness. These athletes often complain that their parents, coaches, or teammates put too much pressure on them. While parents and coaches create an environment of pressure, they are not the cause of pressure. The cause of pressure is when the athlete internalizes the … Sport Psychology Article…

How Parental Expectations Can Lead to Pressure

Parental Support in Sports

How Sports Parents Can Support Their Athletes “Everybody is counting on me,” “I don’t want to disappoint my parents,” “My parents get so mad at me after a bad game…” Do any of these statements sound familiar? You may have expressed these sentiments to a teammate or deal with these thoughts internally on a regular basis. Often, parents … Sport Psychology Article…