Butterflies before a big race. A tight chest before a penalty kick. Overthinking the night before a tournament. Some anxiety is part of caring about your sport. But when it starts costing performance, or shows up far beyond the field, it's worth a closer look.
Three kinds of athlete anxiety
1. Normal pre-competition nerves
A faster heartbeat, restless energy, and focus that sharpens once play starts. These nerves often help. Many athletes perform their best with some activation. The goal isn't to get rid of them, but to read them as readiness instead of danger.
2. Performance anxiety
The nerves start getting in the way. Athletes describe:
- Playing well in practice but tightening up or "choking" in games
- Overthinking movements that are normally automatic
- A mistake that spirals into more mistakes
- Mental blocks, slumps, or the yips
- Dreading competition they used to look forward to
Performance anxiety is usually tied to sport or performance situations. It responds well to mental skills training. Sport and performance psychology.
3. An anxiety disorder
The anxiety isn't limited to sport. Signs it may be more than performance anxiety:
- Worry most days, about school, work, relationships, or health, not just competition
- Panic attacks: a racing heart, trouble breathing, or feeling like something terrible is happening, sometimes out of nowhere
- Trouble sleeping, eating, or concentrating for weeks at a time
- Avoiding practices, teammates, or situations because of fear
- Anxiety that continues in the off-season or after an injury keeps you out
An anxiety disorder is a mental health condition, and therapy is the right starting point. It's also very treatable.
Why athletes often wait
Athletes are trained to push through pain, and many see anxiety as weakness. Some worry about what coaches or teammates will think, or don't feel understood by a therapist who doesn't know sport. That's why working with someone who understands athletics matters. You shouldn't have to explain why a missed free throw can wreck your week.
Anxiety can also overlap with other things. Trouble focusing might be anxiety, ADHD, or both. Pulling away from teammates might be anxiety, depression, or burnout. When the picture isn't clear, an evaluation can help sort it out. Psychological testing for athletes.
What helps
- Mental skills training for performance anxiety: breathing and resets, self-talk, imagery, pre-performance routines, and focus cues you practice until they hold up under pressure.
- Therapy for anxiety disorders, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which help you change your relationship with anxious thoughts instead of fighting them.
- EMDR when anxiety traces back to a specific moment, like an injury, a crash, or a public mistake that keeps replaying. EMDR for performance and return to sport.
- Both at once. Many athletes need performance skills and support for anxiety. Our clinicians are licensed and trained in sport and performance psychology, so you don't have to split your care across two offices.
Cost
Mental skills training for performance is self-pay. Therapy for an anxiety disorder is treatment for a diagnosable condition and can often be billed to insurance. We'll help you figure out which fits. Fees and insurance.
When to get help now
If anxiety comes with thoughts of hurting yourself or not wanting to be alive, don't wait. Call or text 988 (988 Colorado Mental Health Line), any time. In an emergency, call 911.
Talk with a therapist who works with athletes
We work with athletes from youth sports through the professional level, in person in Arvada and online. Start with a free 15-minute consultation: send a secure inquiry, or call or text (720) 446-9438. Parents of teen athletes: a parent's guide to sports psychology.