{"id":9201,"date":"2024-02-15T15:25:57","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T20:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=9201"},"modified":"2025-07-08T05:34:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:34:23","slug":"tips-for-playing-under-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Playing Under Pressure"},"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\/2024\/02\/playing-under-pressure.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/playing-under-pressure.jpg\" alt=\"Tips for Playing Under Pressure\" class=\"wp-image-9204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/playing-under-pressure.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/playing-under-pressure-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=\"How_Athletes_Confidence_is_Fragile\"><\/span>How Athletes&#8217; Confidence is Fragile<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 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\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/#How_Athletes_Confidence_is_Fragile\" >How Athletes&#8217; Confidence is Fragile<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/#%E2%80%9CWhat_if_I_cause_my_team_to_lose%E2%80%9D_or_%E2%80%9CWhat_if_I_mess_up_and_embarrass_myself%E2%80%9D\" >\u201cWhat if I cause my team to lose?\u201d or \u201cWhat if I mess up and embarrass myself?\u201d<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/#Clark_was_confident_as_she_released_the_ball_not_just_because_shes_a_talented_shooter\" >Clark was confident as she released the ball, not just because she\u2019s a talented shooter.<\/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\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/#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\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/#The_Composed_Sports_Kid\" >The Composed Sports Kid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes can feel <strong>confident<\/strong> in their ability to successfully perform in some circumstances and not others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, a basketball player may feel more <strong>confident<\/strong> when shooting free throws early in a basketball game than when on the foul line in the fourth quarter of a tight game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A gymnast may have more <strong>confidence<\/strong> in her ability to nail her routine on the balance beam in a dual meet than when competing in conference championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A tennis player may feel more confident closing out a match against a similarly ranked opponent than when competing against a rival. Why are athletes more <strong>confident<\/strong> in some situations rather than others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes are more <strong>confident<\/strong> when they feel comfortable competing in certain situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When young athletes are comfortable in a given situation, they feel less pressure and anxiety. They are more focused on the task at hand and not distracted by counter-productive thoughts such as, \u201cWhat if I miss this shot?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhat_if_I_cause_my_team_to_lose%E2%80%9D_or_%E2%80%9CWhat_if_I_mess_up_and_embarrass_myself%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>\u201cWhat if I cause my team to lose?\u201d or \u201cWhat if I mess up and embarrass myself?\u201d<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>How can sports kids develop confidence and a level of comfort to successfully perform in crucial moments of a competition?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fear of the unknown creates anxiety. When young athletes are inexperienced in a certain circumstance, they feel uncomfortable and anxious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They gain comfort by making an unknown known. In other words, the more they expose themselves to pressure situations, the better they will perform in similar circumstances in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sports kids can gain more experience competing under pressure in two ways. They can practice under pressure and visualize themselves successfully performing in critical moments of a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can practice under pressure by creating pressure scenarios during training sessions. For example, they could be on the free-throw line late in a tied practice game, and have teammates yelling as if they were playing in front of rowdy fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can also visualize specific scenarios in detail, such as \u201cseeing\u201d themselves sinking two free throws late in a game or hitting a buzzer-beater in a playoff game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both strategies help kids develop a sense of comfort and confidence while competing under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take, for example, University of Iowa basketball player Caitlin Clark. Clark nailed a shot from near half-court at the buzzer to help the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes survive an upset against Michigan State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Clark_was_confident_as_she_released_the_ball_not_just_because_shes_a_talented_shooter\"><\/span>Clark was confident as she released the ball, not just because she\u2019s a talented shooter.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe practice those plays every single day in practice,\u201d Clark said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we run every single time: Get Hannah the ball, let me create with some space. They contested it pretty well, honestly, so lucky it went down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no luck when it comes to performing under pressure. Peak performance under pressure is a trainable mental skill that any athlete can add to a mental game repertoire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young athletes should spend 5 to 10 minutes each day practicing under pressure. They can make this a fun routine challenge with their teammates after a training session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, repetition and comfort translates to <strong>confidence<\/strong>.<\/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\/help-sports-kids-grow-from-adversity\/\" title=\"Help Sports Kids Grow From Adversity\">Help Sports Kids Grow From Adversity<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/playing-through-adversity\/\" title=\"Playing Through Adversity\">Playing Through Adversity<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-stop-overthinking\/\" title=\"How Athletes Can Stop Overthinking&nbsp;\">How Athletes Can Stop Overthinking&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>&nbsp;on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> 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=\"The_Composed_Sports_Kid\"><\/span>The Composed Sports Kid<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/composed-sports-kid-small-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Composed Sports Kid\" class=\"wp-image-11173\" style=\"width:170px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The Composed Sports Kid&#8221; audio&nbsp;and workbook digital download program for young athletes and their parents or coach helps kids cope with frustration and anger in sports. Help your sports kids learn how to manage expectations and let go of mistakes so they can keep their head in the game.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>The Composed Sports Kid system<\/strong><\/em>&nbsp;is really two programs in one\u2013one program to train parents and coaches how to help their kids practice composure, and one program that teaches young athletes\u2013<em>ages 6 to 13<\/em>\u2013how to improve composure, let go of mistakes quickly, have more self-acceptance,&nbsp;<strong>and thus enjoy sports more<\/strong>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-26bcd9b3\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-903b6244 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-sports-kid-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-3275f4fd gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/confident-sports-kid-series-digital-version\/products\/the-confident-sports-kid-bundle-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Athletes&#8217; Confidence is Fragile Athletes can feel confident in their ability to successfully perform in some circumstances and not others. For example, a basketball player may feel more confident when shooting free throws early in a basketball game than when on the foul line in the fourth quarter of &#8230; <a title=\"Tips for Playing Under Pressure\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/tips-for-playing-under-pressure\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Tips for Playing Under Pressure\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[264,310,301],"class_list":["post-9201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence-in-young-athletes","tag-focus-in-youth-sports","tag-pressure-in-youth-sports","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9201","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=9201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}