Do you Freeze?
It’s common in my work as a mental coach to hear athletes talk about the fear of mistakes and the fear of not disappointing a coach of a teammate. Of course, no one wants to miss the last shot to lose a game by one point or miss a winning field goal attempt on the last play of the game.
However, the fear of making mistakes can paralyze some athletes for an entire game, not just the last moments of the competition when it’s crunch-time…
One of the most common fears I hear is athletes who are afraid to let down a teammate or coach. This is just one fear that supports the fear of failure. Here’s an example from a high school athlete that’s scared to disappoint his team:
“I play high school baseball and have a fear of making mistakes. Every time I’m on the field, I just feel butterflies in my stomach. I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. I feel that if I make mistakes, I’ll let my teammates and coaches down.”
I replied to him saying that he was focusing too much on what others think instead of playing the game. I said: “The problem is you worry too much about what others think about your game. You have to first let go of what others think and play for yourself, not to make others happy.”
Read When Athletes are Paralyzed Mentally by Fear
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Overcome the Fear of Negative Outcomes
- Overcoming Fear to Return to The Golf Course
- How To Help Young Athletes With Fear of Failure
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Mental toughness is what separates the winner from the loser in any competition. Champion athletes train hard in practice, perform without fear in competition, and trust their skills in crunch-time.
The Fearless Athlete program is ideal for any athlete that wants to overcome fear of failure and uncover inhibiting perfectionistic traits; or for any coach or parent who wants to teach athletes to perform with trust and freedom in competition.