Sports performance anxiety: signs and what helps

Normal nerves or anxiety that needs help?

Every athlete knows the feeling. The heart speeds up in warmups. The legs feel heavy on the walk to the blocks. That’s your body getting ready to compete, and most of the time it fades once the first whistle blows.

Sports performance anxiety is when that worry gets loud enough to hurt how you play or how much you enjoy playing. Texas Children’s Hospital puts it simply: anxiety before a big game is normal, but too much can interfere with performance. The goal of mental training for athletes isn’t zero nerves. It’s nerves you can work with.

Explore mental training for athletes.

Signs of sports anxiety in the body and the mind

Anxiety shows up in three places. Nationwide Children’s Hospital lists signs like butterflies, a fast heart rate, quick breathing, muscle tension, clammy hands and negative self-talk. Texas Children’s adds headaches or stomachaches in the hours or days before a game.

1. 01

   In the body

   Tight shoulders, shaky hands, a racing heart, short breaths, needing the bathroom again, a stomach that won’t settle. Tension is the big one: it makes a smooth swing or stroke feel stiff.

2. 02

   In the mind

   “Don’t miss.” “Everyone’s watching.” “If I mess up, we lose.” Thoughts jump ahead to the result instead of staying with the next play.

3. 03

   In behavior

   Rushing through a routine, playing safe, avoiding the ball, asking to sit out, or losing interest in a sport they used to love. Texas Children’s notes avoidance is a common reaction to anxiety.

Why it happens: arousal and what you make of it

Before a big moment your body releases energy. Heart rate climbs. Breathing quickens. That’s arousal, and it’s fuel. The trouble starts with how you read it.

Sport psychologists Marc Jones and colleagues (2009) describe two states athletes can walk into a competition with. In a challenge state, the athlete believes they have what the moment needs and feels some control, and even strong emotions feel helpful. In a threat state, the same moment looks like danger, emotions turn negative and they feel like they get in the way. Confidence in your preparation, a sense of control and the goals you set all push toward one state or the other.

So two players can have the same pounding heart. One thinks “I’m ready.” The other thinks “something’s wrong.” Same body. Different story.

How to reduce anxiety before, during and after sports

You don’t need to make the nerves disappear. You need a plan for them. Pick one or two of these and practice them until they’re automatic.

1. 01

   Before: run the same routine

   Arrive early, warm up the same way and follow a short pre-game routine. Nationwide Children’s suggests arriving early so you’re not rushed. Familiar steps tell your body this is normal.

2. 02

   Before: call it excitement

   In studies by Alison Wood Brooks (2014), people who said “I am excited” before karaoke, public speaking or a math test felt more excited and performed better than people who tried to calm down. Those weren’t sports studies, but the idea travels: your racing heart is getting you ready.

3. 03

   Before: breathe slow, out longer than in

   Practice slow breathing at home first, not only when you’re nervous, so the habit is there on game day. Texas Children’s recommends the same.

4. 04

   During: one cue, then the next play

   When the thought “don’t miss” shows up, swap it for a short cue that names a job: “smooth,” “see the seams,” “big target.” Then do the job.

5. 05

   During: reset after a mistake

   A miss on a nervous night feels huge. Give it a breath, a physical signal like a glove tap, and get back in position. See how to reset after a mistake.

6. 06

   After: three facts, not a verdict

   Write one thing you controlled, one moment you handled nerves, one thing to practice. That turns a scary game into information.

One more piece matters in practice, not on game day. Oudejans and Pijpers (2009) had expert basketball players practice free throws for five weeks, some with added anxiety. Only the group that trained with anxiety held their level in the high-pressure test. Small, safe doses of pressure in practice make game pressure feel more familiar.

Sports anxiety examples by sport

The feeling is the same. The moment and the fix change.

Sports anxiety in kids and teens

Young athletes feel anxiety in their bodies before they can name it. A stomachache before every game is worth noticing. The adults around them shape a lot of it: an American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report notes that pressure from parents who are too controlling in organized sports has been linked to performance anxiety.

• How to help your child with sports anxiety
• How to handle pregame nerves

When to get more help

Mental training is practice for normal game nerves. It is not therapy, diagnosis or emergency support, and reset is not a treatment for anxiety. Here’s the difference between mental training and therapy.

Talk to a doctor or a licensed mental health professional if worry is constant, shows up beyond sport, affects sleep, eating or school, causes panic, or doesn’t ease after games. The American Academy of Pediatrics lists signs of anxiety such as big worries before things happen, constant worry about school, friends or activities, and fear of embarrassment or making mistakes. Parents can start with their child’s pediatrician.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or thinking about self-harm, call or text 988 in the US to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Give nerves a plan

Nerves don’t mean you’re not ready. They mean it matters. The athletes who handle them best have practiced what to do when they show up, again and again, until the plan is automatic.

That’s what reset is built for. It’s the mental training app for athletes: two minutes a day, three steps. Notice. Name. Return. Try a 2-minute reset, or join the waitlist.