The Superstars of Sports Don't Choke - Here's Why

Since the beginning of recorded history, stress has been with man. Even the earliest caveman daily faced the stress of simply surviving every day life. From seeking shelter to escaping predators.

Today even though our lives have changed drastically, stress is still with us - we're just stressed about different things. Some of us are worried about our financial future or the stress of being out of work. Others, who have a job may be facing stressful situations at work. Many people have health related problems and face the stress of dealing with their illness. Maybe you are in a loveless marriage that is so filled with stress that it is barely surviving. Even kids are not immune. They may be dealing stressed out from trying to conform to peer group expectations. The point is that stress is around us all, every day. And those who want to survive find productive methods of contending with it.

Experts in stress management know that trying to eliminate stress from a person's life is not only futile, it's arguably not even desirable. So they concentrate on managing stress instead. But why is it that some people thrive under stress and others, in a similar situation, will collapse from it? There are a few reasons, but one undeniable reason is that much of a person's response to anxiety is psychological in nature. In the first instance, the first person has learned to manage his anxiety to the point of turning it into an advantage. A stress management expert will help you to master the ability to take ownership and control over your anxiety.

Where does anxiety come from? There's more than one answer. Many times the cause is a traumatic, life altering event such as losing a parent, losing a child, or losing someone that you love. But, stress can also be the result of less dramatic life changing events such as moving to a new neighborhood, attending a new school, or starting a new place of work. But just about all forms of stress or anxiety come down to either loss of the familiar or anticipation of loss of the familiar.

The word "choke" is often used in sports. A sports team may win one game. Then they win another, and another, until finally they've managed to win 12 games in a row. Now, all eyes are on them and the pressure is on them to win. Because now they're playing for the expectations of their families, their coaches, and fans. Now, instead of being lose, they approach each game with the attitude that they HAVE to win. Keep in mind that even though they have not played the next game, some team members are already feeling tight. Since the loss hasn't yet happened, it can only be attributed to anticipation of what will happen if the team does lose. That's why, in many high profile, high stakes games you'll see players fumbling balls that they would normally catch with ease, missing goals that they would normally easily make, and passing up shots that they would normally take. They're choking.

On the other hand, the superstars in these games have leaned to manage and direct their stress. They not only will avoid passing up a shot, they'll insist on taking the shot. They'll actually want the ball in crucial situations. They will love being in the spotlight in front of thousands, maybe millions of people. Same game, same situation, different player, different reactions.

The crucial thing to notice is that this feeling of self-assurance or comfort has nothing to do with skill level. We all know people who have little or no talent in their field who are nonetheless filled with supreme confidence in their actions and abilities.

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