All too often we witness athletes who have “emotional explosions”. At any given time you can observe examples, in various sports, at multiple levels, of athletes who lose their composure and commit egregious fouls. But what we don’t see are the athletes who struggle with what I call the emotional button at a lower level. And although these athletes may not commit unsportsmanlike fouls, they do struggle in performance in a way that negatively impacts themselves or the team.
Take Bill for example. A talented high school athlete who gives every ounce of energy he has at practice, and by outward appearance is excited to compete. He brings an intensity that onlookers admire, and at times strikes fear into his opponents. However, what people don’t see is the train of thoughts within that lead to emotional breakdowns, and declining results in competitions. When talking with him one-on-one, he reveals an incessant pattern of negative self-evaluation, and an inability to maintain his focus on the moment at hand. Instead, he is caught up in berating himself about past mistakes, and worries about failing in future attempts to execute. The core of the issue is that Bill is consumed by emotions as a reaction to attaching his self-worth to the outcomes of each competition and practice.
The first issue in this type of situation is the fact that emotions are a distraction on two levels. Externally, things that are out of the athlete’s control can hit the emotional button. Things such as poor weather, or less than perfect playing surfaces can become a focal point that serves no purpose other than a distraction from executing. At other times it may be another person (an opponent, teammate, coach, fan….) who blurts out things that anger or hurt the athlete emotionally. Whether intentional or on purpose, once again the athlete is distracted by an uncontrollable event that hampers focus on the task at hand.
There are also internal distractions. Thinking patterns become habits that are “triggered” and conditioned. Whether it is an opponent, a specific venue, or a point in the competitive calendar, the athlete can become consumed with thoughts of self-doubt, negative thinking, or attaching personal value to results. Just like with external distractions, internally distracting thoughts prevent the athlete from being able to focus on relevant cues, or make adjustments based on emerging situations. Instead, the athlete becomes tardy in responding, with outcomes that reinforce the negative thinking.
Clearly the above scenarios are unhealthy. As a result, many coaches I work with talk about flipping this script by “hyping” athletes into a frenzy for competition. The intention is to get athletes past their doubts and fears, and to create an excitement that energizes an athlete to play at a higher level. But I would caution against this strategy. For one, the issue of distraction isn’t overcome, but instead shifts to working to maintain the emotional high. Yet, what most people don’t realize is that the body and nervous system operate on a system of balance (homeostasis), which leads to a “regression to the mean”. In short, the nervous system will self-regulate and work to get back to a normal state by lowering hyped emotions. There is also the possibility that an athlete completely loses confidence because a poor outcome follows getting into a hyped-up state. Either way, getting “hyped up” is often times counter productive.
At this point, you may find yourself asking what can be done? Negative thinking and emotions are obviously detrimental, and now you’ve been told that positive emotions may be a trap. So what to do? My advice is to first recognize that emotions are a byproduct of how an athlete perceives the situation, and not the cause of an outcome. An emotional state merely elevates the intensity of a response based on what an athlete is thinking.
Second, accepting and separating emotions from the reality of the moment allows an athlete to be more present and ready to respond with trained skills. What I have proposed to many athletes is what I call the ROAR strategy, a four-step process that can be used in seconds and allows an athlete to strengthen his focus on the present moment. By first Recognizing when the emotional button is pushed, an athlete is then taught to Observe internal reactions (thoughts, emotions, & sensations). By Accepting these internal reactions withouth judgment, the athlete can then Refocus on the present moment and assume personal responsibility.
Without doubt, being able to implement this strategy takes practice, and in my experience often times requires the development and training of other mental skills. But once an athlte masters his ability to self-regulate after the emotional button is pushed, he has the power to persevere be resilient. In my view, this is the real value of playing sports; to be able to face adversity and work through challenges. I encourage you to continue in your efforts, but be aware of the emotional button and how it can distract you from staying focused. Hopefully you have found this both insightful and beneficial in your own work as an athlete or coach. Should you find yourself wanting specific guidance in this area, why wait? Make the call, bring in an expert.