1
Name of student
Name of professor
Name of Institution
Due Date
, 2
Introduction
Mental health is a significant problem facing sports due to its prevalence. Coaches, players, and
teams have been affected highly directly and indirectly. Mental health has affected players'
performance which makes them continue to seek help from psychologists while looking for
measures to enhance their mental skills and abilities (Chang et al., 2019). Some of the significant
areas that have shown deep concerns include arousal by the athletes, drug addiction, and burn
out. These cases have brought about anxiety and depression among the payers, which is highly
affecting their performance. This paper, therefore, proposes ways in which the coaches can guide
the athletes into mental healthiness and give recommendations to coaches on how to support
their teams into mental wellness.
Techniques, strategies, and applicable practices Dealing with Arousal
Athletes often find themselves in confronting places due to arousal during sport
activities. Arousal is a psychological or physiological activity that occurs due to high-pressure
situations (Leitzelar et al., 2020). It is an output of the body’s physical reaction that leads to fast
heart pounding and rapid breathing, Interuption of individual's thoughts, and the interpretation.
Arousal can result from negative attributes such as anxiety, nervousness, and worry in an athlete
(Gbadamosi, 2020). Additionally, it can also be as a result of positive feelings such as victory or
intense excitement. The condition is rampant in athletes as they constantly face challenges in
their field of work, constantly compete with their opponents, and feel the need to improve.
However, arousal affects the athlete’s performance and effectiveness in the field. Therefore, they
should employ specific techniques and strategies to learn how to manage their bodies and deal
with arousal. Some of the commonly known effective methods include breathing, visualization,
goal setting, self-talk, progressive relaxation, music, re-competition, and mindfulness. These
techniques manage the underlying cause of the arousal, and the athlete gets back in line.
Fortunately, these techniques can be learned and mastered after intensive practice.
Breathing Techniques have proved to be one of the most effective methods of managing arousal
among athletes. Deep breathing can help reduce anxiety, slow heart rate, and improve focus
(Jerath et al., 2019). Athletes can use deep breathing exercises, such as belly breathing, box
breathing, or 4-7-8 breathing, before and during competitions to regulate their arousal levels. By
slowing down the breathing rate, athletes decrease physiological arousal, which helps them feel
more relaxed and focused. In order to practice this technique, there are various steps that a coach
will have to take. As a coach, guide the athlete to a comfortable environment or position.
Depending on their surroundings and liking, it can be either in the field or a room. Have them sit
down or stand relaxed and ask them to take slow, deep breaths while inhaling through the nose
and exhaling through the mouth. Ask the athlete to focus on their breath movement for about 5-
10 minutes. This is expected to be very effective and calm their anxiety and nervousness,
enabling them to manage their arousal. When done repeatedly the athlete will develop a strong
mental capacity to manage their arousal.
Visualization is a technique in which an athlete mentally rehearses their performance in their
mind. Visualization also involves creating mental images of successful performance and can help
Name of student
Name of professor
Name of Institution
Due Date
, 2
Introduction
Mental health is a significant problem facing sports due to its prevalence. Coaches, players, and
teams have been affected highly directly and indirectly. Mental health has affected players'
performance which makes them continue to seek help from psychologists while looking for
measures to enhance their mental skills and abilities (Chang et al., 2019). Some of the significant
areas that have shown deep concerns include arousal by the athletes, drug addiction, and burn
out. These cases have brought about anxiety and depression among the payers, which is highly
affecting their performance. This paper, therefore, proposes ways in which the coaches can guide
the athletes into mental healthiness and give recommendations to coaches on how to support
their teams into mental wellness.
Techniques, strategies, and applicable practices Dealing with Arousal
Athletes often find themselves in confronting places due to arousal during sport
activities. Arousal is a psychological or physiological activity that occurs due to high-pressure
situations (Leitzelar et al., 2020). It is an output of the body’s physical reaction that leads to fast
heart pounding and rapid breathing, Interuption of individual's thoughts, and the interpretation.
Arousal can result from negative attributes such as anxiety, nervousness, and worry in an athlete
(Gbadamosi, 2020). Additionally, it can also be as a result of positive feelings such as victory or
intense excitement. The condition is rampant in athletes as they constantly face challenges in
their field of work, constantly compete with their opponents, and feel the need to improve.
However, arousal affects the athlete’s performance and effectiveness in the field. Therefore, they
should employ specific techniques and strategies to learn how to manage their bodies and deal
with arousal. Some of the commonly known effective methods include breathing, visualization,
goal setting, self-talk, progressive relaxation, music, re-competition, and mindfulness. These
techniques manage the underlying cause of the arousal, and the athlete gets back in line.
Fortunately, these techniques can be learned and mastered after intensive practice.
Breathing Techniques have proved to be one of the most effective methods of managing arousal
among athletes. Deep breathing can help reduce anxiety, slow heart rate, and improve focus
(Jerath et al., 2019). Athletes can use deep breathing exercises, such as belly breathing, box
breathing, or 4-7-8 breathing, before and during competitions to regulate their arousal levels. By
slowing down the breathing rate, athletes decrease physiological arousal, which helps them feel
more relaxed and focused. In order to practice this technique, there are various steps that a coach
will have to take. As a coach, guide the athlete to a comfortable environment or position.
Depending on their surroundings and liking, it can be either in the field or a room. Have them sit
down or stand relaxed and ask them to take slow, deep breaths while inhaling through the nose
and exhaling through the mouth. Ask the athlete to focus on their breath movement for about 5-
10 minutes. This is expected to be very effective and calm their anxiety and nervousness,
enabling them to manage their arousal. When done repeatedly the athlete will develop a strong
mental capacity to manage their arousal.
Visualization is a technique in which an athlete mentally rehearses their performance in their
mind. Visualization also involves creating mental images of successful performance and can help
