Psychological Intervention for Stress Management and Performance in Young Athletes

At the youth sport level, sport training, pressure to perform, and developmental pressures can contribute to stress. Learning how to manage stress in sport can enhance the personal development and sport growth of young athletes. This presenter’s guide provides a step-by-step explanation of a psychological intervention program for young athletes focused on motivation, goal setting, concentration, visualization, activation, and relaxation. Participation in the “Psychological Intervention for Stress Management and Performance in Young Athletes” workshop is an initial step in the psychological development of stress management skills.

Objectives:

• Young athletes will be able to identify indicators of stress that they may experience during their sport participation, both in training and competition.


• Young athletes will learn about motivation, attention and concentration, and activation, and will practice goal setting, visualization, and relaxation, psychological skills that can help them to appropriately manage stress during sport training and competition.