Volume 20, Issue 26 | March 9, 2021
Parents Can Help Athletes Manage Stress & Improve Performance
According to the NCAA, nearly one in three adolescents in the U.S. meet criteria for an anxiety disorder. Of those, half begin experiencing their anxiety disorder by age six. As sport parents, one practical and tangible way you can help your children manage anxiety is through practicing mindfulness.

Practicing mindfulness is not just some existential fad with immeasurable results, it really works. For instance, the College of Applied Medical Sciences found that mindfulness meditation therapy reduced cortisol (a stress hormone that’s released by the adrenal gland) levels in elite athletic shooters by as much as 50%. This is a substantial drop, especially when considering the disconcerting effects of high cortisol levels. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to:

  • Decreased emotional intelligence
  • Depression
  • Diminished cognitive flexibility
  • High blood pressure 
  • Increased Fatigue
  • Muscle weakness

Go With the Flow
In a 2016 study by the International Association of Applied Psychology, researchers investigated whether an eight-week mindfulness intervention could increase athletes’ flow experience. Flow experience is the feeling of “enhanced physical and psychological function” and a sense of “freedom stemming from absence of negative thought and self-conscious evaluation.” While findings from this experiment should be interpreted with cautions due to a small sample size and cyclist-specific mindfulness training, the athletes who received the intervention showed:

  • Increased mindfulness 
  • Increased flow experience
  • Decreased sports-anxiety
  • Decreased sports-related pessimism

Ultimately, mindfulness training helps athletes perform better by helping them focus on the present.
Here is how you can help your child gain the benefits of practicing mindfulness. We encourage sport parents to practice mindfulness as well. Consider making it a daily family ritual by practicing these techniques together.

Meditation
Practicing meditation helps athletes manage pain, reduce anxiety, and improve concentration. Practicing meditation bright and early each morning with a five-minute breathing exercise is a good way to fit mindfulness into every day. During this time, focus on your physical presence, a positive mantra, and most importantly, your breath.
Be sure you’re breathing from your diaphragm and that you’re fully engaged in every inhale and exhale. It helps to find a quiet place that’s comfortable for you—this could be a yoga mat, bed, or chair. If you feel your mind start to wander, pull your thoughts back to your breathing. Note that mindfulness meditation can also have a spiritual dimension. There are a number of Catholic resources on the topic, including this book that provides a good overview.

Positive Self Talk
Make sure the voice in the back of your head is sending the right messages. Ditch feelings of uncertainty, thoughts of messing up, or judgement from others. These thoughts can only damage performance. Instead, think of positive or even objective thoughts. Find your target, be it a goal, a finish line, or a basket and how to get there. Talk to yourself about the faith you have in your own abilities. Much like meditation, thinking of a positive mantra can get you pumped and feeling energized. Some positive mantras might be, “I got this.” “I believe I can.”

Visualization
Ever hear the expression a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, that stands true for mindfulness as well. Painting a positive mental image of yourself performing can work wonders once you’re actually in a competition. Athletes can manage performance anxiety by imagining themselves utilizing what they’ve learned in practice, capitalizing on their strengths, and making better in-game decisions.
How Much of the Game is Mental?
According to Keith Kaufman, PhD, speaking at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association: “It’s been suggested that many coaches regard sport as at least 50 percent mental when competing against opponents of similar ability. In some sports, that percentage can be as high as 80 to 90 percent mental.” So, helping your child (and yourself) to employ these mindfulness strategies will improve your lives on and off the court.


Special thanks to Kim Hill, Director of Mindfulness Strategies for contributing this note. To learn more, visit Kim’s website with a plethora of resources or click here to contact Kim.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
~ Colossians 3: 2
Join Us for Virtual Spring Break Camp!
With COVID-19 still putting many Spring Break plans on hold in 2021, Play Like a Champion is here to provide a fun activity for parents who want to keep kids active. Last June, we offered a Virtual Summer Sports Camp that attracted hundreds of children from across the country. This year, we've compiled the "greatest hits" to bring you a Virtual Spring Break Camp. This free, virtual camp will provide 5 days of activities, with approximately 90 minutes of programming that includes sport-specific training, cardio-focused fitness, mindfulness exercises designed to improve mental health and performance, and character development from Play Like a Champion staff and special guests. Each day features an all-star lineup of youth, high school and college coaches.

This 5 day camp is free and available on-demand so that you can access the online videos and get your children moving at your convenience - during Spring Break or any other time! To learn more and to register, simply click the link below to visit the camp website. We'll see you there!
A Prayer for Parents
Slow me down, Lord! Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my harried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me, amidst the confusion of my day, the calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tensions of my nerves with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory. Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep. Teach me the art of slowing down to look at a flower; to chat with an old friend or make a new one; to pat a stray dog; to watch a spider build a web; to smile at a child; or to read a few lines from a good book. Remind me each day that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to life than increasing its speed. Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak and know that it grew slowly and well. Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values, that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.
By William A. Peterson
Play Like a Champion's "Daily Prayers for Champions" page has been updated! Visit www.playlikeachampion.org/prayer for more than 200 prayers plus resources that can help you and your team grow closer to God while participating in sports.
Play Like a Champion Today Educational Series
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