Toughness In Sports

Sport participation demands both physical and psychological exhaustion of athletes. Beginning with youth leagues and continuing on to the professional level, athletes are forced to deal with the pressures that come with competing against others in events that are significant to the athletes and others, such as parents, coaches, and peers. Some athletes adapt successfully with this tension, and for them sports are pleasurable. Others unable to adapt find sports to be a stressful experience. Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. The emotional responses are likely to happen when we see ourselves unable to cope with the demand of a situation that has the potential …show more content…
The mentally tough athlete is in control of their emotions and is composed under stress. Such athletes seek these high-pressure performances, they preform at their best when the pressure is high and the level of success is low. Being placed in this kind of situation is not a threat but another chance to accomplish. Mentally tough athletes are able to focus on the duty at hand in situations where less mentally stable athletes lose their concentration and falter. These individuals rarely succumb to their own or others ' self-defeating thoughts and ideas. Finally, being mentally tough means you are mentally resilient and have the aptitude to rebound from adversity, this determination to succeed is displayed as quiet …show more content…
These modifications include increased muscle tension, heart rate, and respiration rate. Anxiety can also cause narrowed attention and perception and diminished cognitive flexibility. The restless athlete before competition is likely to focus on what negatives could occur or review mentally images of past poor showings against this opponent or in this sport. The lack of cognitive tractability makes it problematic to take a sensible look at the situation. The physical display of a restless athlete and their timing, reaction time, and decision-making style are also different from the habitual, low-anxiety movement patterns of a mentally stable athlete. An athlete who has a smooth pattern when running relaxed will look choppy and rigid when anxious. Excess anxiety will likely interfere with preparation efforts and result in changes in muscle tension, inefficient activity, difficulty making decisions, negative focus, and, ultimately, reduced enjoyment and self-confidence. A dearth of anxiety will result in reduced intensity and less consistent effort and motivation. In my personal experience as an athlete who played multiple sports growing up and now in college when I went up against a tough team or opponent that I knew was better I would have played harder and had a better game because I knew I needed to try as hard as I