3.5 Arousal, Stress And Anxietyv

Stress is a state of physiological or psychological tension produced by internal or external forces

A stressor is internal and external stimuli that causes stress

Are usually a physiological and measure-able such as extremes in temp illness and hard physical training

Are usually psychological for example change of coach failing a test

Often defined as the activation or readiness of the mind and body.

Feelings of worry or concern and or negative thoughts and feelings Defined as: a feeling of apprehension closely associated with our own concept of fear

States that as arousal increases so will the quality of performance until arousal passes beyond an optimal level. Beyond this optimal range of arousal performance will diminish

Individual athlete (personality, experience etc) - experience of the athlete: beginners arousal level will be optimally low - personality - perception of comp Type of skill or sport: fine/ gross simple / complex

The theory is three dimensional as it includes physiological arousal and performance and cognitive anxiety Increased arousal will benefit performance as long as cognitive anxiety is relatively low Cognitive anxiety and physiological arousal are high reaching the threshold creates a catastrophic effect

Tasks perceived as simple or easily achieved will require higher levels of arousal

Skills that require controlled, precise movement will require less arousal.

Butterflies in stomach Increased urination Clammy hands Flushed skin Increased respiration Increased HR Feeling tired Constant movement Feeling overwhelmed

Boredom Poor performance choices Lack of energy Skill errors Poor concentration Lack of internet Skill errors

Engage in preferred relaxation technique Focus on TRF Seek out others who are calm Engage in a preferred distracting activity

Down play the importance of the contest and the result Provide time for relaxation Present a calm presence themselves Remind the athletes of their thorough and appropriate preparation Keep sport in perspective

Play loud stimulating music Set personal achievement challenges Watch motivational videos Engage in a vigorous warm up

Stress the importance of the result Give athletes a publicised responsibility Give the athletes a pep talk Provide performances goals to be achieved

Essentially the anxiety of our personality or an underlying disposition to certain levels of anxiety in a particular situation

The anxiety inherent or associated with a situation It is how the athlete feels at a specific moment within a particular situation We each will have different performance/arousal curves in the same and different situations - experience -skill level - difficultly of the task - uncertainty of a result - stress in other areas of our life at that time

Comp can cause athletes to react both physically (somatic) and mentally (cognitive) in a manner which can negatively affect their performance abilities.

High stress levels can negatively influence performance these influences can ranges from butterflies to a panic attack and affect athletic performance. This is commonly known as choking. When the pressure builds up and the importance of the situation makes it hard to control one’s emotions a sportsmen can become physically unable to execute the easiest of sporting skills