Anger in sports
Anger is a commonly misunderstood topic in sports. Anger is an essential emotion we all understand and feel, but we rarely know it's a positive emotion. It usually comes through as a secondary emotion paired with frustration, fear, disappointment, embarrassment, or many others. The common misunderstanding is that anger can be seen as an ineffective emotion in sports. However, it often can be a tool to create focus, drive, or intensity that could lead an athlete to their peak state.
In anger management in sports, techniques like visualization or grounding are often used to help regulate anger in a sports context to a level still effective in sports participation. The danger with anger is that when it increases more and more, we can feel less cognitively in control. We can think of anger as an enhancement of performance, but if the level increases too high for the particular athlete, it's a deviation from their optimal performance and runs the risk of hurting their performance. Another factor is every sport needs different expressions of anger. For example, a sport like golf may have different expressions of anger due to mechanics and the need to maintain focus, while a contact sport like boxing hits another opponent. Understanding how anger affects you in sports and how it benefits you is a crucial tool in improving your athletic game.
If you want to learn more about anger and how it affects your performance, please call 510-981-1471 to schedule an appointment with Quentin Baldwin or one of our other sports psychology providers.
Thank you, Quentin Baldwin
Quentin Baldwin is a psychology trainee who provides sports psychology and clinical psychology services at Endurance - A Sports and Psychology Center, Inc. He is supervised by Dr. Cory Nyamora, a licensed psychologist and endurance sports coach. Dr. Nyamora is the founder and director of Endurance – A Sports & Psychology Center, Inc., a company that provides psychological services and sports training and travel to people of all ages. Endurance staff provide therapy, training and workshops for organizations and athletes on topics related to the intersections of sports, performance, mental health and overall wellness. Find out more at www.endurancecenter.org or call 510.981.1471.
