Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Important Coping Mechanisms to Help Athletes Deal with On and Off-Field Problems

Important Coping Mechanisms to Help Athletes Deal with On and Off-Field Problems

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Apr 23, 2013

No Comments

Soccer - UEFA Europa League - Final - Athletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid - National Arena

Athletes, like the rest of us, deal with some kind of stress every day of their lives.  Interestingly, it is not the stressor(s) that bogs down athletes, but instead how they cope with the stress they experience.  The sport psychology literature offers two types of stress response (coping) mechanisms to be considered depending on the type of stress an athlete experiences:

A.) Problem- based coping

B.) Emotion-based coping

These types of coping are probably exactly what you think simply based on their respective names — with problem-based coping, the emphasis is geared toward strategies designed to fix the problem.  Emotion-based coping, on the other hand, is the type of coping used to develop better emotional responses to a problem.

Problem-based coping strategies should be employed when an athlete has control over a situation and can develop new ideas and approaches in order to have better future results.  For example, if an athlete is stressing out over losing a starting position, she might look at the ways in which she can improve her athletic skill set, thereby giving her a better chance to start again in the future.

Emotion-based coping is better used in situations where the athlete has little, if any control over a situation.  For example, during the sport retirement transition most athletes are no longer able to simply think up new ways to extend a career (as what might be done if using a problem-based coping approach).  In these instances, athletes often struggle to varying degrees trying to re-establish their personal identity and move on in their lives without sports.  An emotion-based coping approach might include learning healthier ways to cope with this type of stress rather than turning to reckless behaviors, drinking, or any other form of self-sabotage.  Examples of a better, healthier ways to cope might include establishing a physical workout routine, meditation, or learning relaxation techniques to help lower anxiety.

Both problem and emotion-based coping are important tools for athletes to use to help with overall mental toughness and success — both on and off the field.  The best part about both types of coping is that they are life skills, and will come in handy for athletes long after their playing days are over.

www.drstankovich.com

 

 

 

anxiety, coping, emotion, mental, problem, psychology, sport, Stress, touhgness

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Latest Blog Posts

  • March 1, 2021 Important Team Building Success Tips for Coaches
  • February 16, 2021 Help Kids Overcome Pandemic Anxiety as they Head Back to School
  • February 10, 2021 Is Mark Cuban’s Remedy for National Anthem Protests the Right Move?
  • February 4, 2021 Former NFL Star Warns of Potential Problems Dealing with Sport Retirement
  • February 1, 2021 Lacking Social Interaction is Hitting Kids Hard through Pandemic

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

5 Tips to Being a Great Youth Sports Coach

NEXT POST

5 Key Tips to Evaluating Youth Sports Officials

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , College , Leadership and Role Modeling , Mental Toughness , Off Field Issues , Performance Enhancement , Prep , Pro , Pro and College Sports , Sport Psychology , Sport Transitions , Sports Culture and Society , Sports Leadership , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Sports Retirement , Stress , Training and Development , Youth and Interscholastic Sports , Youth Sports

Tags

anxiety, coping, emotion, mental, problem, psychology, sport, Stress, touhgness

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Important Team Building Success Tips for Coaches
  • Help Kids Overcome Pandemic Anxiety as they Head Back to School
  • Is Mark Cuban's Remedy for National Anthem Protests the Right Move?
  • Former NFL Star Warns of Potential Problems Dealing with Sport Retirement
  • Lacking Social Interaction is Hitting Kids Hard through Pandemic
  • Parent Sports Pressure Can Leave Kids with Overwhelming Expectations
  • Overcome Adversity by Using this Important Mental Toughness Strategy
  • Challenges Endure for Student Athletes Managing Pandemic Stress & Related Concerns
  • Lacking Social Interaction is Hitting Kids Hard through Pandemic
  • Important Team Building Success Tips for Coaches
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2021 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓