{"id":4472,"date":"2017-06-21T17:16:24","date_gmt":"2017-06-21T17:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4472"},"modified":"2025-07-10T08:13:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T12:13:43","slug":"do-your-athletes-have-pregame-jitters-or-performance-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-athletes-have-pregame-jitters-or-performance-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Your Athletes Have Pregame Jitters or Performance Anxiety?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hypnotherapy-benefits.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hypnotherapy-benefits.jpg\" alt=\"Athletes and Hypnotherapy\" class=\"wp-image-9114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hypnotherapy-benefits.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hypnotherapy-benefits-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Helping_Sports_Kids_Overcome_Pregame_Anxiety\"><\/span>Helping Sports Kids Overcome Pregame Anxiety<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-athletes-have-pregame-jitters-or-performance-anxiety\/#Helping_Sports_Kids_Overcome_Pregame_Anxiety\" >Helping Sports Kids Overcome Pregame Anxiety<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-athletes-have-pregame-jitters-or-performance-anxiety\/#In_other_cases_however_young_athletes_may_be_experiencing_performance_anxiety\" >In other cases, however, young athletes may be experiencing performance anxiety.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-athletes-have-pregame-jitters-or-performance-anxiety\/#Help_sports_kids_embrace_the_natural_feelings_of_anticipating_competing\" >Help sports kids embrace the natural feelings of anticipating competing.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-athletes-have-pregame-jitters-or-performance-anxiety\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-athletes-have-pregame-jitters-or-performance-anxiety\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Just before a game, your kids may say they\u2019re feeling <strong>jittery<\/strong> and will look <strong>distracted,<\/strong> over-excited and <strong>tense.<\/strong> They may have sweaty palms and a pounding heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In many cases, such feelings are <strong>pregame jitters<\/strong> or &#8220;butterflies&#8221; that actually help kids perform better. These feelings tend to subside once kids play for a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_other_cases_however_young_athletes_may_be_experiencing_performance_anxiety\"><\/span>In other cases, however, young athletes may be experiencing performance anxiety.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When kids mistakenly interpret jitters as performance <strong>anxiety<\/strong> or <strong>fear,<\/strong> they may feel unnecessarily uptight. But in reality, nothing may be wrong; their natural adrenaline is kicking in because they are excited about the upcoming competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As parents, you don\u2019t want to suggest that the jitters are a problem for their performance, or that they need to do something to make them go away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Help_sports_kids_embrace_the_natural_feelings_of_anticipating_competing\"><\/span>Help sports kids embrace the natural feelings of anticipating competing.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>These pregame reactions can help them perform at a higher level. You might say things like, <em>&#8220;Those jitters will give you extra energy and help you play better today.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if kids\u2019 jittery feelings, sweaty palms and racing heart continue throughout the game, they may be experiencing <strong>performance<\/strong> <strong>anxiety<\/strong>&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they\u2019re scared, feel sick to their stomachs, can\u2019t think clearly, are worried about what may happen during the game, can\u2019t <strong>relax<\/strong> and can\u2019t shake their fears and <strong>anxieties<\/strong> during the game, performance anxiety may be the reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, kids need to learn how to address the <strong>fears<\/strong> that are behind their <strong>anxiety.<\/strong> And you as parents and coaches need to understand that you should not fuel their anxiety. That means you should not burden kids with <strong>high expectations<\/strong> and should avoid <strong>focusing<\/strong> on the score, kids\u2019 stats, or the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might also think about whether your kids feel <strong>embarrassed<\/strong> when you shout or argue with refs and coaches from the sidelines. This can be a major source of <strong>anxiety<\/strong> for young athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d like to learn more about <strong>pregame jitters, performance anxiety<\/strong> and other pre-performance <strong>mental game issues,<\/strong> we\u2019ve got a great program for you. It\u2019s called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/young-athletes-pregame-mental-prep\/\"><strong>10-Minute Pregame Prep<\/strong><\/a>,\u201d and it features a series of 10-minute audios that your athletes can listen to just before a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-turn-pregame-jitters-into-a-positive\/\"><strong>How to Turn Pregame Jitters into a Positive<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/young-atheltes-pregame-jitters-podcast\/\"><strong>Young Athletes Who Suffer From Pregame Jitters Podcast<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-pregame-mental-prep-is-critical-for-athletes\/\"><strong>Why Pregame Mental Prep is Critical for Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a><\/strong> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Training<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Helping Sports Kids Overcome Pregame Anxiety Just before a game, your kids may say they\u2019re feeling jittery and will look distracted, over-excited and tense. They may have sweaty palms and a pounding heart. In many cases, such feelings are pregame jitters or &#8220;butterflies&#8221; that actually help kids perform better. These &#8230; <a title=\"Do Your Athletes Have Pregame Jitters or Performance Anxiety?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/do-your-athletes-have-pregame-jitters-or-performance-anxiety\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Do Your Athletes Have Pregame Jitters or Performance Anxiety?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,31,30,6],"tags":[269,268],"class_list":["post-4472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pregame-anxiety","category-pregame-jitters","category-pregame-nerves","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-pregame-anxiety","tag-pregame-jitters","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}