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Anxiety In Sports Essay

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● What are three ways to recognize anxiety in athletes? There are three fundamental ways to recognize anxiety in an athlete--behavioral and physiological symptoms, and testing. The first two require the coach and athlete to have a sound and trustworthy relationship with connection and the ability freely communicate and expose their vulnerabilities. Testing requires the involvement of a sport psychologist or consultant to administer the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT), for examples, to assess individual differences in the perception of competitive situations. Such as test can identify the anxious athlete and further define the type of anxiety (Vernacchia, McGuire, & Cook, 1996). There are other tests that can identify both trait (general predisposition to respond across many situations with anxiety) or state anxiety (more specific and fluctuates from moment-to-moment proportionately to the perceived threat of the situation) (Hanton, Mellalieu, & Williams, 2013). …show more content…

My resting pulse is around 45 beats per minute. Before engaging in any physical activity, I have to raise my heart rate and get the blood flowing; otherwise, I’m very lethargic.
1. Psyched up breathing. This type of energization requires just quick, shallow breathing at a rapid rate in order to transport as much oxygen to the working muscles and also raise the heart rate (Burton & Raedeke, 2008). Using a FitBit to track my heart rate, I have been able to raise it from 45 to around 75 beats within about 15 seconds.
2. Imagery energization. This method uses the power of images in the mind to vividly recall a situation that one has seen, heard, felt, tasted, smelled, or touched (Burton & Raedeke, 2008). Hanton et al recommends thinking of images such as a train, heavy machinery, or powerful waves (2013). I personally combine this strategy with my psyched up breathing. I think of an intense bouldering move in rock climbing or pulling 9Gs in an

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