Simone Biles might be the most high-profile athlete to draw attention to the link between mental health and athletic performance. In 2021, Simone Biles withdrew from several events at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health.
She described the experience as feeling like she “just got a little bit lost in the air.” Media reports at the time referred to her condition as the “twisties.” That’s not a medical term or diagnosis, but it refers to an experience where gymnasts lose the sense of where their bodies are in the air and could injure themselves when they land.
Biles spent two years working on her mental health and returned as a leader in her sport in 2023, dominating and winning four gold medals in the World Gymnastics Championships, marking her historic 34th medal and sixth world all-around title. Her courage and openness about her mental health issues have raised awareness of these challenges in athletes.
Biles isn’t alone in her struggles. Many other professional and Olympic athletes, like Naomi Osaka and Ilia Malinin, have shared their own struggles to manage performance anxiety. Michael Phelps, Chloe Kim and Kevin Love have also talked openly about their mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. These athletes and others have normalized the conversation around mental health and high-performance sports.
There are often times when athletes have sudden, unexplained performance anxiety or an inability to perform at their typical level.
These problems can be frustrating. They can happen to anyone, even athletes who have performed competitively for years.
What causes performance anxiety?
These problems could stem from a combination of physical and mental issues.
“Some psychological components of performance anxiety include attention, self-efficacy, and emotional regulation,” said Valerie Valle, PsyD, a sports psychologist with Banner Sports Medicine Scottsdale.
“Where attention goes, energy flows,” she said. “Excessive attention on either the desired or feared outcome will take us out of the present moment and spike arousal levels, resulting in a subpar performance.”
“Self-efficacy, or the belief in our ability to successfully cope with the task at hand, is another component of performance anxiety,” Dr. Valle said.
Understanding the emotional impact
If your teen athlete is struggling with an unexplained drop in performance, they could have a range of feelings:
- Frustration: They may feel like they’re not good enough or that they’re letting themselves or their teammates down.
- Discouragement: It can be hard for them to stay motivated and positive when they are struggling to perform skills that they have been able to do easily for years.
- Embarrassment: They may be afraid of what their teammates, coaches or fans think of them.
- Guilt: They may feel guilty about letting their teammates and coaches down and about missing out on opportunities to compete and perform at their best.
Strategies to help your teen athlete cope
Reassure your teen that it’s normal to feel frustrated and discouraged. But athletes can, and do, overcome performance anxiety. Building mental resilience and focus can help.
Here are some strategies your teen can try:
- Strengthen attention: Have your teen take note of where their attention is, over and over again. While this is a simple task, it is not easy because the nature of the mind is to wander. Aiming and sustaining attention on the right thing at the right time in pressure situations is a learned skill that can be developed.
- Scaffolding: This is a dynamic and adaptive teaching method which aims to progressively build skills, with appropriate supports, while simultaneously pushing the athlete’s existing comfort zone. Scaffolding empowers athletes to develop their skills progressively with increasing independence and confidence.
- Visualization: Mentally practicing a skill or performance may help athletes build confidence. Have them close their eyes and imagine performing their task perfectly, paying attention to their body, breathing and mental state.
- Positive self-talk: Challenging unproductive thoughts with more productive ones may help athletes stay motivated and focused. For example, when athletes catch themselves thinking “I’m going to choke,” they can recognize it and change the thought to “I’m prepared and I’m going to perform my best.”
- Gratitude: Ask your athlete to share something they are thankful for within their sport. That could be a teammate, moving their body, a coach or practicing in the sunshine.
- Professional help: A sports psychologist can help identify the causes of performance anxiety and develop strategies for overcoming it.
Practical tips for overcoming performance anxiety
Lots of athletes have used these strategies to overcome sudden drops in performance. You can share them with your teen:
- Identify the triggers that typically cause problems: With the awareness of how the mind works, anxiety and other challenging emotions can be seen as a friend rather than an enemy.
- Practice under pressure: Creating conditions similar to competitions or practicing in front of a crowd can help.
- Encourage them to not be afraid of making mistakes: Help them move on to the next task if they make a mistake.
- Remind them that they are not alone: Many athletes have successfully overcome these challenges. With patience, persistence and support, they can too.
It’s also important for your teen to try to have a positive attitude. You can encourage them to:
- Focus on their progress instead of on their mistakes. Celebrate their successes.
- Set realistic goals. Overcoming performance anxiety like the yips and twisties can take time. They need to be patient and persistent. There’s no quick fix.
- Ask for help. A coach, sports psychologist or trusted adult can offer support, encouragement and guidance.
“Building mental fitness skills such as stress tolerance, mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and cognitive flexibility can help your teen athlete keep performance anxiety at bay and thrive in sport and life.” Dr. Valle said.
By openly discussing their psychological well-being and performance challenges, professional athletes have made it more acceptable to address mental health in competitive sports.
The bottom line
Athletes of all ages, including teens, could develop performance anxiety. Mental training skills can help them return to the court or the field.
“Some performance anxiety is normal and helpful in boosting attention and effort,” Dr. Valle said. “But if it is persistent and distressing, then seek out help from a licensed professional who is an expert in mental health and mental performance.”
If your teen is struggling with performance anxiety in sports, talk to their pediatrician for advice or reach out to a Banner behavioral health provider.
