Anxiety is Not Bad, Anxiety is Not Good, But Anxiety is Necessary

Anxiety in sports has been a hot topic ever since tennis star Naomi Osaka pulled out of the French Open due to anxiety issues. Osaka cited the media’s disregard for the mental health of athletes during press conferences as a major cause for anxiety in sports. Osaka also tweeted that she suffers from social anxiety, and […]

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Anxiety and Intensity Are Two Sides of the Same Coin for Athletes

In sports psychology literature, authors generally use the terms anxiety and intensity interchangeably. Both terms describe one’s level of arousal, heart rate, blood flow, and emotions. However, athletes and coaches view anxiety as a negative and intensity as a positive. Essentially, the popular / non-scientific view is that anxiety and intensity are two sides of […]

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Six Tips for Sports Parents Who Have Goldilocks Anxiety

The process of trying to get it “just right” for your kid is a legitimate source of anxiety. I call this type of anxiety “Goldilocks” anxiety. For example, one day you may worry that you’re being too hard on your kids. Then, a few days later you worry that you’re being too soft on them. […]

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