{"id":2179,"date":"2011-08-17T17:09:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-17T17:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports_psychology_blog\/?p=2179"},"modified":"2025-06-13T05:31:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T09:31:41","slug":"how-criticism-can-affect-athletes-mental-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-criticism-can-affect-athletes-mental-game\/","title":{"rendered":"How Criticism Can Affect Athletes\u2019 Mental Game"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/pressure-in-sports.jpg\" alt=\"Pressure in Sports\" class=\"wp-image-6377\" title=\"Netherlands v Germany - Womens Euro 2009 Qualifier\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/pressure-in-sports.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/pressure-in-sports-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_Athlete_is_Immune_to_Criticism_and_Pressure\"><\/span>No Athlete is Immune to Criticism and Pressure <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-criticism-can-affect-athletes-mental-game\/#No_Athlete_is_Immune_to_Criticism_and_Pressure\" >No Athlete is Immune to Criticism and Pressure<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-criticism-can-affect-athletes-mental-game\/#The_Impact_of_Criticism\" >The Impact of Criticism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-criticism-can-affect-athletes-mental-game\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-criticism-can-affect-athletes-mental-game\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>How you respond to pressure is what separates great athletes from average ones. Going into the 2011 Women&#8217;s World Cup, Birgit Prinz was the name on everybody\u2019s lips. Prinz was the leading scorer in World Cup history with an impressive 14 goals, was named the FIFA world women&#8217;s player of the year three times, and has scored more goals for the German team than anyone in history. However, a slow start in the World Cup had fans and commentators questioning if the end of her career was looming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amidst a storm of media scrutiny and a less than stellar play by the German squad, head coach Silvia Neid decided to pull Prinz from the starting lineup. In the team&#8217;s close 1-0 win over Nigeria, Prinz was benched early in the second half of the game. The soccer great was enraged, bristling at fans and reporters alike. It didn\u2019t take a Ph.D. in psychology to see that her body language read anger. She blamed her teammates for the team&#8217;s poor play, citing passing issues and not winning enough balls in the midfield. When teammates scored goals following her relegation to the bench, Prinz showed no emotion. In Germany&#8217;s final game of the World Cup, Prinz didn&#8217;t sing along to the German national anthem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Impact_of_Criticism\"><\/span>The Impact of Criticism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While wounded pride can lead to aggression and anger, it is important for athletes to practice good sportsmanship and bow out graciously. Influential soccer commentator G\u00fcnter Netzer wrote, &#8220;An absolute world-class player must also show greatness in defeat, personal defeat as well.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A study published in The Sport Journal, found that distractions and criticism can drain mental energy, decreasing performance. One way to focus better is to decrease anxiety levels. Relaxation training and meditation prior to the game can block out what&#8217;s going on off of the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A sports psychologist can also be a useful person for helping you stay on top of the game. A sports psychologist can help an athlete focus on goal setting, relaxation, motivation, communication, and focus, while also helping the athlete understand how criticism affects their performance, and how to cope with the negative criticism. Understanding strategies used by sports psychologists or working with one can be helpful as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you&#8217;re on the field, let go of the noise. Nothing anyone says matters &#8211; just listen to your breath and the beating of your heart. If you focus on your game, let go of the criticism, you will build confidence in your abilities and feel motivated to work hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Birgit Prinz succumbed to negative criticism, athletes can employ a few strategies to block out negative criticism on the field. Meditation and breathing exercises, understanding how the stress affects an athlete and tools to overcome it, and choosing to focus on positive reinforcement can allow an athlete to grow confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">(This article is written by guest blogger, Allison Gamble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>About the Author: Allison Gamble has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-this-pro-manages-criticism\/\"><strong>How This Pro Manages Criticism<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-grow-competition-confidence\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-turn-negative-criticism-into-motivation\/\"><strong>How to Turn Negative Criticism into Motivation<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-athletes-can-use-constructive-criticism\/\"><strong>How Athletes Can Use Constructive Criticism<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"The Confident Athlete Audio\" class=\"wp-image-16347\" style=\"width:198px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No Athlete is Immune to Criticism and Pressure How you respond to pressure is what separates great athletes from average ones. Going into the 2011 Women&#8217;s World Cup, Birgit Prinz was the name on everybody\u2019s lips. Prinz was the leading scorer in World Cup history with an impressive 14 goals, was named the FIFA world women&#8217;s player of &#8230; <a title=\"How Criticism Can Affect Athletes\u2019 Mental Game\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-criticism-can-affect-athletes-mental-game\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Criticism Can Affect Athletes\u2019 Mental Game\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142,27],"tags":[807,806,43],"class_list":["post-2179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","category-performing-well-under-pressure","tag-birgit-prinz-and-world-cup","tag-critism-in-sports","tag-pressure-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"No athlete is immune to criticism and pressure. 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