Of the eight million high school students who play sports in the United States, only 460,000 will compete at NCAA schools (“Probability of Competing beyond High School”). This means that only about 5.75% of high school athletes will pursue their athletic careers at the college level. Excelling in athletics is the goal of many young kids for their future. They idolize the sports stars they grew up watching whether it be an NBA player, local track super star, or older sibling. As children grow up, there is an increasing pressure to perform at a high level. The practices become more rigorous, and the late nights become more frequent in order to keep up with other life tasks. Added pressure from parents, peers, coaches, and oneself make the mental aspect of being an athlete quite debilitating.
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While athletes face a variety of obstacles, the two most challenging mental barriers they overcome are lack of confidence and performance anxiety. The first trait an athlete must possess in order to be successful is confidence; however, gaining and maintaining that confidence can become quite onerous. In an interview with Nicole Deting, a highly accredited Sports Psychology Consultant, she speaks about the difficulties of maintaining high confidence levels regarding athletics. She has worked with elite college athletes competing in the PAC 12 and even Olympic Athletes. Some people may wonder how such top-notch athletes struggle with a concept as simple as confidence, but this in reality, is one of the most difficult characteristics to overcome. The athlete could be coming off of a losing streak or injury that makes them question their ability to play at a high level. Another common stressor is overbearing coaches, teammates, or parents. Rather than focusing on the positive, these people may have a pessimistic
While athletes face a variety of obstacles, the two most challenging mental barriers they overcome are lack of confidence and performance anxiety. The first trait an athlete must possess in order to be successful is confidence; however, gaining and maintaining that confidence can become quite onerous. In an interview with Nicole Deting, a highly accredited Sports Psychology Consultant, she speaks about the difficulties of maintaining high confidence levels regarding athletics. She has worked with elite college athletes competing in the PAC 12 and even Olympic Athletes. Some people may wonder how such top-notch athletes struggle with a concept as simple as confidence, but this in reality, is one of the most difficult characteristics to overcome. The athlete could be coming off of a losing streak or injury that makes them question their ability to play at a high level. Another common stressor is overbearing coaches, teammates, or parents. Rather than focusing on the positive, these people may have a pessimistic