An important element of sports is learning how to deal with stress.
For both the sportsman and the coach, dealing with stress effectively is critical in order to achieve good performance.

Stress is the well known difference between demand and capacity. In different situations sportsmen appraise what they can actually and what they anticipate they could do. If there is a diference between the two then there is talk of stress.This is specifically the case if the sportsman considers the task to be difficult or important.

It is important to understand that stress is not always negative; stress is necessary for the sportsman to perform. If someone is too stresed then this can indeed have a negative influence on their performance just as it can if someone has insufficient stress and they become too lethargic. Stress management is not just important for sportsmen, it’s also important for the trainer and the coach.

Examples of the influence of stress on match behaviour are: making the wrong tactical decisions, no longer being a good team player (egotistical or too dependent on others) and shouting things like ‘don’t play me this time!’

Stress increases the chance of injury. Stress reduces body resistance and when stress is endured for long periods the body is weakened.In the end, at a given moment, the weakest link inside the whole mind and body decides that this is enough and injury follows.

Stress increases muscle pain It is then more likely that many muscle injuries result from the stress levels of the sportsmen in the match that they suffer the injury. In addition to this (and maybe more frequently than trainers believe) injuries occur through ‘flight’ from a stressful situation. As the sportsman just can’t do any more, one logical way of dealing with the situation is to have a sports injury. This might not happen conciously, but it does play a part.