Sports-Related Stress in Adolescents

Sports–Related Stress in
                    Adolescents
       Various studies have shown that exercise helps relieve stress for people
young and old; however, stress can be both helpful and harmful in terms of
adolescent sports.
       “Sports can have both positive and negative influences on adolescent
development. Many sports can improve adolescents’ physical well-being and
health, self-confidence, motivation to excel, and ability to work with others
(Cornick, Bowker, & Gadbois, 2001). In some cases, adolescents who spend
considerable time in sports are less likely to engage in drugs and delinquency”
(Santrock, 92).
       Sports are beneficial and can lead to a well-balanced healthy lifestyle
because they teach teamwork, dedication, responsibility, and many other
qualities you will rely on later in life.

           Positive vs. Negative Aspects of Sports
POSITIVE                                  NEGATIVE
“Experiencing stress in sports can be a   “The negatives may also be a
positive and good learning experience.    unhealthy view of competition, less
Sports participation can teach your       time on academics, and teaching
athlete to handle competition, defeat,    aggression” (Rocco).
and even performance anxiety”
(Greydanus).

“Positive aspects of sports include, a
sense of belonging, competition, a
feeling of accomplishment and
enjoyment” (Rocco).

“For most young people athletics can and should be a positive experience. When
supervised and coached by people who care, sports can be a great learning
experience” (Rocco).

Sports provide a great outlet for adolescents, an outlet in which they can take a lot
of valuable lessons away from, that is, if they are handled appropriately.

             Good Stress vs. Bad Stress in Sports
                             Eustress vs. Distress

Eustress is defined as “a good type of stress that stems from the challenge of a
pleasant activity…(it) pumps you up, providing a healthy spark for any task you
undertake.”
 Distress is defined as “a bad type of stress that arises when you must adapt to
too many negative demands.”

EXAMPLE—Tiger Woods would often tense up on the golf course, which
worried his father, but Tiger explained that is just how he enjoys himself, “what
seemed like distress to his father was eustress to Tiger.” (TeensHealth).

EUSTRESS

                                    DISTRESS

It is essential that athletes differentiate between the two types of stress: eustress
and distress, when deciding what is best for their health. “If sports make you so
nervous that you get headaches, become nauseated, or can’t concentrate on other
things, you’re experiencing symptoms of unhealthy, potentially chronic (which
means long-lasting and continuous) stress” (TeensHealth).

                   What causes Athletes Stress?
       One of the primary causes of stress is believed to be too much emphasis
on winning; it is a common-held belief that the “winning at all costs” attitude has
been taken too far. “The downside of the extensive participation in sports by
American adolescents includes the increased high expectations by parents and
coaches to win at all costs. Researchers have found that adolescents’
participation in competitive sports is linked with competition anxiety and self
centeredness” (Santrock). Adolescents become overworked and begin to see
sports as too demanding when pressured by parents and coaches. “Winning is
certainly a goal of competitive sports, but sometimes players feel more than just
the thrill of the game. Being in an environment that stresses winning at all costs
can make you totally stressed out”(TeensHealth).
       Another huge stressor for student athletes is time management—
balancing school and sports is not an easy task, and can prove to be very
stressful. Other stressful events can pile on, eventually leading to what has come
to be called BURNOUT. “Negative consequences of overwhelming stress
many, including chronic fatigue (a.k.a. athletic burnout syndrome) depression
and rapid loss of previously learned skills. Burnout can also result from over-
training, encouraged by overzealous parents, coaches, or the teenagers”
(Greydanus). It is said that the burnout “is spawned the moment the ‘costs’ of a
sport outweigh its rewards, (that is if) the costs are stress induced” (Seppa).

     Performance-Oriented Motivation vs. Mastery
                     Motivation
Performance-Oriented Motivation mainly focuses on “winning, public
recognition, and performance relative to others.”
Mastery Motivation tends to focus more on the skill development and
“efforts to reach self-determined standards of success” (Santrock).

“Researchers have found that athletes
with a mastery focus tend to see things in a
big picture perspective, that is to say they “are
more likely to see the benefits of practice, persist
in the face of difficulty, and show more skill
development over the course of a season” (Santrock).

*It is so important for student athletes to have realistic expectations
and goals.

                          “Your number one goal should always
                          be self-improvement” (Stratton).

                                        Helpful Hints for Stress
                                          Management
4 Relaxation Techniques that Help to Ease Pressure:
   1.   Deep Breathing
   2.   Muscle Relaxation
   3.   Visualization (thinking happy thoughts)
   4.   Mindfulness (watching out for and disposing of negative thoughts)
                                                    (TeensHealth).

*It is also vital that athletes have other outlets, that they are able to escape,
whether it be hanging out with friends or a good book.

http://www.pamf.org/teen/life/stress/managestress.html, a new website
launched by The Palo Alto Medical Foundation, suggests the following tips for
better stress management:
   1. Slow down
           -Find something to make you laugh
           -Play at a playground
           -Be a kid for couple of minutes
           -Listen to music

-Have a bath
         -Get a massage
         -Play a musical instrument
   2. Exercise helps your mind and body
   3. Get plenty of rest and eat well
   4. Discuss your problems with someone

“There are a number of techniques that can be helpful in preventing or reducing
sports induced stress. Relaxation training, meditation, hypnosis, breath control,
yoga, prayer, and biofeedback are all techniques the help to relieve stress. I
recommend that athletes who are under excessive sports-induced stress work
with sports medicine clinicians or psychologists who can teach them some of
these methods. You can talk to your health care professionals to more
information or a referral, if needed.
                                         -Donald E. Greydanus, MD – Michigan
                                         State University, College of Human
                                         Medicine

                        Concluding Thoughts
Stress is inevitable for everyone, regardless of what you are doing. In sports it
is important to keep things in perspective: “Sports are about enhancing self-
esteem, building social skills, and developing a sense of community. But
remember above all, sports are about having fun” (TeensHealth).

Helpful, Related Links:
www.pamf.org/teen The Palo Alto Foundation launched a new website for
young people over the age of 13 with medically accurate information and
resources about their health. The site have four main sections: Life, Health, Risk,
and Sex, as well as a parent section.

       www.kidshealth.org Useful information on many health topics, choose
to enter “teens.”

www.nutrition.cornell.edu/undergrad/athletes.html A great sight if you
are thinking about continuing your athletic career in college, a site with tips on
being a successful student athlete.

Works Cited:

      Greydanus, Donald E. “Sports and Teenagers: Can Parents Reduce Some

of the Stress?” Healthology, Inc. 2004.

http://townnews.healthology.com/printer_friendlyAR.asp?f=teenheatlth&c=tee

n_sports

 “Handling Sports Pressure and Competition.” TeensHealth. The Nemours

Foundation, 1995-20004.

http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&ps=cat207&cat_

id=2013

      Rocco, David. “Sports in Adolescence.”

http://inside.bard.edu/academic/specialproj/darling/adleis3.htm

      Seppa, Nathan. “Keeping Young Athletic Fires Burning.”

http://web.isp.cz/jcrane/IB/Athleteburnout.html

      Santrock, Joseph. Adolescence. 9th Edition. McGraw Hill Companies.

New York, 2003.