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Anxiety in Australian Sport
Sport related anxiety is an emotional discomfort in the lead up too competitions, events or training in which the persons’ feeling uncomfortable psychologically to compete or perform at ones peak physical condition.

Anxiety is a feeling or emotion that can come in many different forms and cause different symptoms. It can come in the form of Test anxiety, Mathematical anxiety, stage fright, social anxiety, existensial anxiety and in most cases somatic anxiety.

Anxiety can be a short term or long term trait that. With most anxiety issues being genetically passed down but it can also be caused by other factors such as different types of drugs such as alcohol or caffiene.

Anxiety is a treatable phycological disease that can be stemmed by a numerous amount of different treatments.

= Performance Anxiety = Performance anxiety was first introduced to Australian Sport in the 1960’s but was not introduced at the elite level up until the late 1980’s. The acceptance of phycologists to manage anxiety and other mental issues surrounding sport has only as recently as 1982 been considered as nessisity to get the best out of athletes in performance and in a recovery manner.

Simon Lloyd a former Hawthorn and Collingwood and now head of the development program for young players being introduced to the AFL at Fremantle, psychologist had this to say about the introduction of psychologists to manage players  'I'm an opening, or a line of communication between players and the coach. I think it [the acceptance of sports psychology really depends on the coach at the club- and you really need to understand players. Everyone reacts differently to different types of feedback there are some players you might have to for want of a better word pamper, but it's about finding out where they're coming from.

= Treatment =

Dependent on the type of athlete or the sportsman’s nature will depend on the way they receive ‘treatment’ In modern times most professional sporting organisations employ full time psychologists to help manage player anxiety and performance.

At first sports psychologists were employed to help the less successful players to become better at managing anxiety to help them play at their peak. Thankfully because of success in this area which was evident with player performance increase, even the better players began to get the treatment and began learning techniques to help with their fears or anxieties.

Different techniques used to help minimise anxiety in athletes these days include, breathing techniques to lower heart rate and help to sleep if having trouble to sleep pre game or pre competition. mental recovery which is a form of visualisation with music to help your body believe it is healing all past injuries or sore body parts you may have from a past match. Mental imagery to help players visualise a moment before it happens so that they know what decision they are going to make and what the outcome is most likely to be in a certain situation in relation to their chosen sport and routine maintenance to help players have a routine or ritual that they follow before performance which they belive gives them the upper hand on an opponent or offers them peak preparation to perform at their peak.