{"id":22038,"date":"2025-02-27T18:59:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T23:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=22038"},"modified":"2025-06-24T19:14:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T23:14:59","slug":"managing-high-expectations-for-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing High Expectations\u00a0for Athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/high-expectations.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/high-expectations.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/high-expectations-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=\"Why_are_Extremely_High_Expectations_Detrimental_to_Peak_Performance\"><\/span>Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance?<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\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#Why_are_Extremely_High_Expectations_Detrimental_to_Peak_Performance\" >Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance?<\/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\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Article\" >Related Sports Psychology Article<\/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\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#The_Confident_Athlete_Digital_Download\" >The Confident Athlete (Digital Download)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>There are many misnomers regarding \u201c<strong>expectations<\/strong>.\u201d To understand the impact of high <strong>expectations<\/strong>, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some athletes equate the term \u201c<strong>expectations<\/strong>\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought process is, \u201cIf expecting to lose leads to losing, shouldn\u2019t expecting to win bring about winning?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Belief is crucial to peak play as long as you stay immersed in the moment and do not worry about the end result. Where <strong>expectations<\/strong> are particularly detrimental is when they are excessive or when they are associated with demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excessive <strong>expectations<\/strong> refer to setting unrealistic, unattainable, or overly high standards for yourself. For example, \u201cI need to win every tournament\u201d or \u201cI should never strikeout.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are impossible standards that place overwhelming pressure on you to perform. When those <strong>expectations<\/strong> are not met, you feel disappointed and frustrated, causing you to feel like a failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Processing extremely high <strong>expectations<\/strong> requires several steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Redefining Success \u2013 Success isn\u2019t just about wins, trophies, and stats; it\u2019s also about improvement, consistency, and overcoming challenges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Managing External Pressure &#8211; Coaches, family, and media may have high <strong>expectations<\/strong> for you, but you don\u2019t need to buy into those <strong>expectations<\/strong>. Stay focused on pursuing PERSONAL and REALISTIC goals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Focusing on Controllables &#8211; Instead of stressing over results (winning every game or never messing up), concentrate on your effort, preparation, game plan, and execution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>From an early age, Madison Keys was told she would be a future World No. 1. Keys turned pro on her 14th birthday, and, in her debut, Keys defeated world No. 81, Alla Kudryavtseva in straight sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, as her career progressed, Keys fell short in her attempts to win a Grand Slam event, with defeats in one final, five semifinals. and four quarterfinals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The high <strong>expectations<\/strong> were an extremely tough burden for Keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KEYS:&nbsp;<em>&#8220;I felt like from a pretty young age, I felt like if I never won a Grand Slam, then I wouldn&#8217;t have lived up to what people thought I should have been. That was a pretty heavy burden to carry around.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once Keys processed those excessive <strong>expectations<\/strong> and challenged her beliefs, she was able to alleviate the pressure and play like she knew she was capable of playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KEYS:&nbsp;<em>&#8220;It just kind of forced me to look at myself in the mirror a little bit and try to work on the internal pressure that I was putting on myself\u2026 I finally got to the point where I was OK if it didn&#8217;t happen. I didn&#8217;t need it to feel like I had a good career or that I deserved to be talked about as a great tennis player.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With less pressure, Keys beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 at the 2025 Australian Open to win her first Grand Slam championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Managing <strong>expectations<\/strong> is necessary for all athletes to enable them to play freely, enjoy the game, and play to the height of their abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Managing high <strong>expectations<\/strong> requires that you know their origins and how they hold you back from playing at your peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are <strong>expectations<\/strong> your own or ones you adopt from others? Define the specific <strong>expectations<\/strong> in the form of shoulds&#8230; For example, &#8220;I should not make mistakes.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, set aside your <strong>expectations<\/strong> and instead focus on smaller objectives such as to commit to each play call or commit to your tactics.Recognizing and overcoming unrealistic <strong>expectations<\/strong> helps reduce pressure and leads to stable confidence.<\/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_Article\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Article<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-boost-confidence-by-managing-expectations\/\">How to Boost Confidence by\u00a0Managing Expectations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/pressure-is-self-induced-by-expectations\/\">Pressure is Self-Induced by Expectations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/fear-of-meeting-others-expectations-and-pressure\/\">Fear of Meeting Other\u2019s Expectations and Pressure<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\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 has-text-align-left\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete_Digital_Download\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" title=\"\">The Confident Athlete (Digital Download)<\/a><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\/2023\/10\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"Sport Psychology Cds\" class=\"wp-image-15979\" style=\"width:170px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>The Confident Athlete<\/em>\u201d audio and workbook program helps you feel confident before you walk onto the field, track or court. You discover how to have stable and proactive confidence so you can think like a champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI just finished \u2018<strong>The Confident Athlete Program<\/strong>.&#8217;\u00a0Improving confidence is a never-ending process. I think that confidence boosting is an awesome area. Having a daily mental plan for mental \u201cwork outs\u201d can turbo charge anyone\u2019s confidence level\u2026. Studying almost all of Dr. Cohn\u2019s mental game materials gives me a real EDGE over my competitions and most importantly \u2013 a boost in my daily life.\u201d<\/em><br>~Radek Sefcik, Peak Performance Sports Customer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-contrast-3-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" style=\"border-radius:10px\">GET DETAILS<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \u201cexpectations.\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \u201cexpectations\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought process is, \u201cIf &#8230; <a title=\"Managing High Expectations\u00a0for Athletes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Managing High Expectations\u00a0for Athletes\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[90,466],"class_list":["post-22038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-expectations","tag-expectations-in-competition"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \u201cexpectations.\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \u201cexpectations\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Patrick Cohn\"\/>\n\t<meta name=\"keywords\" content=\"athlete expectations,expectations in competition\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO Pro (AIOSEO) 4.9.5.2\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sports Psychology Articles | Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \u201cexpectations.\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \u201cexpectations\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:image:secure_url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-27T23:59:00+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-24T23:14:59+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@PeaksportsCoach\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \u201cexpectations.\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \u201cexpectations\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@PeaksportsCoach\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png\" \/>\n\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"aioseo-schema\">\n\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BlogPosting\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#blogposting\",\"name\":\"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles\",\"headline\":\"Managing High Expectations\\u00a0for Athletes\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/#author\"},\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/expectations.jpg\",\"width\":200,\"height\":200},\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-27T18:59:00-05:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-24T19:14:59-04:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#webpage\"},\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#webpage\"},\"articleSection\":\"Mental Performance Articles, Athlete Expectations, Expectations in Competition\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#breadcrumblist\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog#listItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/category\\\/sports-psychology-tips\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Mental Performance Articles\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/category\\\/sports-psychology-tips\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mental Performance Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/category\\\/sports-psychology-tips\\\/\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Managing High Expectations\\u00a0for Athletes\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog#listItem\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Managing High Expectations\\u00a0for Athletes\",\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/category\\\/sports-psychology-tips\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Mental Performance Articles\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Peak Performance Sports, LLC\",\"description\":\"Sports psychology coaching, articles and tips for athletes, coaches, and performers excel in sports.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/\",\"email\":\"coach@peaksports.com\",\"telephone\":\"+14079091700\",\"foundingDate\":\"1996-08-01\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"value\":5},\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/cropped-2022-Logo-Ball-Blue.jpg\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#organizationLogo\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Sports Psychology for Athletes\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#organizationLogo\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeakPerformanceSports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PeaksportsCoach\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sportspsychcoach\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@peakperformancesports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MindsetForSports\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/#author\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/\",\"name\":\"Patrick Cohn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/patrick-cohn-mental-coach-web-sq.jpg\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeakPerformanceSports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PeaksportsCoach\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sportspsychcoach\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@peakperformancesports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/peaksports\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MindsetForSports\"],\"description\":\"Mental Performance Coach Dr. Patrick Cohn has helped athletes for over 30 years enhance their performance. Dr. Cohn earned a master's degree in sports psychology from CSUF and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, specializing in Applied Sports Psychology. Today, he is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports, LLC in Orlando, Florida, where his team offers mental performance coaching to individual and team athletes. He works with high-profile teams and athletes, such as the Miami Dolphins, NASCAR winners, NHL players, NFL players, National Motocross champions, and PGA Tour professional golfers. Visit full bio&gt;&gt;\",\"jobTitle\":\"Master Mental Performance Coach\",\"alumniOf\":[{\"@type\":\"EducationalOrganization\",\"name\":\"University of Virginia\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.virginia.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"EducationalOrganization\",\"name\":\"California State University\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fullerton.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"EducationalOrganization\",\"name\":\"University of Buffalo\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.buffalo.edu\\\/\"}],\"knowsLanguage\":[\"english\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/\",\"name\":\"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles\",\"description\":\"Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \\u201cexpectations.\\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \\u201cexpectations\\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#website\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#breadcrumblist\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/#author\"},\"creator\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/#author\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/expectations.jpg\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#mainImage\",\"width\":200,\"height\":200},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\\\/#mainImage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-27T18:59:00-05:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-24T19:14:59-04:00\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sports Psychology Articles for Athletes\",\"description\":\"Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#organization\"}}]}\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro -->\r\n\t\t<title>Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles<\/title>\n\n","aioseo_head_json":{"title":"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles","description":"Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \u201cexpectations.\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \u201cexpectations\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought","canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/","robots":"max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1","keywords":"athlete expectations,expectations in competition","webmasterTools":{"miscellaneous":""},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#blogposting","name":"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles","headline":"Managing High Expectations\u00a0for Athletes","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/#author"},"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/expectations.jpg","width":200,"height":200},"datePublished":"2025-02-27T18:59:00-05:00","dateModified":"2025-06-24T19:14:59-04:00","inLanguage":"en-US","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#webpage"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#webpage"},"articleSection":"Mental Performance Articles, Athlete Expectations, Expectations in Competition"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog#listItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/sports-psychology-tips\/#listItem","name":"Mental Performance Articles"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/sports-psychology-tips\/#listItem","position":2,"name":"Mental Performance Articles","item":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/sports-psychology-tips\/","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#listItem","name":"Managing High Expectations\u00a0for Athletes"},"previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog#listItem","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#listItem","position":3,"name":"Managing High Expectations\u00a0for Athletes","previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/sports-psychology-tips\/#listItem","name":"Mental Performance Articles"}}]},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#organization","name":"Peak Performance Sports, LLC","description":"Sports psychology coaching, articles and tips for athletes, coaches, and performers excel in sports.","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/","email":"coach@peaksports.com","telephone":"+14079091700","foundingDate":"1996-08-01","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","value":5},"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/cropped-2022-Logo-Ball-Blue.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#organizationLogo","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Sports Psychology for Athletes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#organizationLogo"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports","https:\/\/x.com\/PeaksportsCoach","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sportspsychcoach\/","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@peakperformancesports","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MindsetForSports"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/#author","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/","name":"Patrick Cohn","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/patrick-cohn-mental-coach-web-sq.jpg"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports","https:\/\/x.com\/PeaksportsCoach","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sportspsychcoach\/","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@peakperformancesports","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/peaksports\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MindsetForSports"],"description":"Mental Performance Coach Dr. Patrick Cohn has helped athletes for over 30 years enhance their performance. Dr. Cohn earned a master's degree in sports psychology from CSUF and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, specializing in Applied Sports Psychology. Today, he is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports, LLC in Orlando, Florida, where his team offers mental performance coaching to individual and team athletes. He works with high-profile teams and athletes, such as the Miami Dolphins, NASCAR winners, NHL players, NFL players, National Motocross champions, and PGA Tour professional golfers. Visit full bio&gt;&gt;","jobTitle":"Master Mental Performance Coach","alumniOf":[{"@type":"EducationalOrganization","name":"University of Virginia","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.virginia.edu\/"},{"@type":"EducationalOrganization","name":"California State University","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.fullerton.edu\/"},{"@type":"EducationalOrganization","name":"University of Buffalo","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.buffalo.edu\/"}],"knowsLanguage":["english"]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/","name":"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles","description":"Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \u201cexpectations.\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \u201cexpectations\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought","inLanguage":"en-US","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#website"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#breadcrumblist"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/#author"},"creator":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/#author"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/expectations.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#mainImage","width":200,"height":200},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/#mainImage"},"datePublished":"2025-02-27T18:59:00-05:00","dateModified":"2025-06-24T19:14:59-04:00"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/","name":"Sports Psychology Articles for Athletes","description":"Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents","inLanguage":"en-US","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#organization"}}]},"og:locale":"en_US","og:site_name":"Sports Psychology Articles | Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents","og:type":"article","og:title":"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles","og:description":"Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \u201cexpectations.\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \u201cexpectations\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought","og:url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/","og:image":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png","og:image:secure_url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png","og:image:width":512,"og:image:height":512,"article:published_time":"2025-02-27T23:59:00+00:00","article:modified_time":"2025-06-24T23:14:59+00:00","article:publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports","article:author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports","twitter:card":"summary","twitter:site":"@PeaksportsCoach","twitter:title":"Managing High Expectations | Sports Psychology Articles","twitter:description":"Why are Extremely High Expectations Detrimental to Peak Performance? There are many misnomers regarding \u201cexpectations.\u201d To understand the impact of high expectations, it is important to examine the term. Here\u2019s where the confusion lies. Some athletes equate the term \u201cexpectations\u201d with the belief that something will or will not happen. In this sense, the thought","twitter:creator":"@PeaksportsCoach","twitter:image":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png"},"aioseo_meta_data":{"post_id":"22038","title":"Managing High Expectations | #site_title","description":null,"keywords":null,"keyphrases":{"focus":{"keyphrase":"","score":0,"analysis":{"keyphraseInTitle":{"score":0,"maxScore":9,"error":1}}},"additional":[]},"primary_term":null,"canonical_url":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"og_object_type":"default","og_image_type":"default","og_image_url":null,"og_image_width":null,"og_image_height":null,"og_image_custom_url":null,"og_image_custom_fields":null,"og_video":"","og_custom_url":null,"og_article_section":null,"og_article_tags":null,"twitter_use_og":false,"twitter_card":"default","twitter_image_type":"default","twitter_image_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_fields":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"schema":{"blockGraphs":[],"customGraphs":[],"default":{"data":{"Article":[],"Course":[],"Dataset":[],"FAQPage":[],"Movie":[],"Person":[],"Product":[],"ProductReview":[],"Car":[],"Recipe":[],"Service":[],"SoftwareApplication":[],"WebPage":[]},"graphName":"Article","isEnabled":true},"graphs":[]},"schema_type":"default","schema_type_options":null,"pillar_content":false,"robots_default":true,"robots_noindex":false,"robots_noarchive":false,"robots_nosnippet":false,"robots_nofollow":false,"robots_noimageindex":false,"robots_noodp":false,"robots_notranslate":false,"robots_max_snippet":"-1","robots_max_videopreview":"-1","robots_max_imagepreview":"large","priority":null,"frequency":"default","local_seo":null,"seo_analyzer_scan_date":"2025-08-16 10:20:03","breadcrumb_settings":null,"limit_modified_date":false,"reviewed_by":null,"open_ai":"{\"title\":{\"suggestions\":[],\"usage\":0},\"description\":{\"suggestions\":[],\"usage\":0}}","ai":null,"created":"2025-06-24 23:13:03","updated":"2025-08-16 10:20:03"},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"<div class=\"aioseo-breadcrumbs\"><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\" title=\"Home\">Home<\/a>\n<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">\u00bb<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/sports-psychology-tips\/\" title=\"Mental Performance Articles\">Mental Performance Articles<\/a>\n<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">\u00bb<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\tManaging High Expectations for Athletes\n<\/span><\/div>","aioseo_breadcrumb_json":[{"label":"Home","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog"},{"label":"Mental Performance Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/sports-psychology-tips\/"},{"label":"Managing High Expectations\u00a0for Athletes","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/managing-high-expectations-for-athletes\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22038\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}