Emotional Regulation in High-Stress Competition: How Athletes Manage Pressure and Performance

By Daniel Bach, Jayson Duncan, Daniel Mahoney, Gianni Pisano, and Paige Steffke

Many athletes believe stress and anxiety are signs of weakness. In reality, stress and Athletic Sport Performance anxiety are commonly experienced by all athletes, regardless of their expertise and sport. High levels of competition anxiety can cause the mind to enter what's called the fight or flight response. Fight or flight can lower focus, coordination, and decision-making capabilities, causing performance to decrease. Imagine a basketball player taking the game-winning shot, or a football player kicking the game-winning field goal. High-stakes scenarios like these often raise levels of anxiety, which can lead to increased stress levels. One of the most important skills that an athlete can learn is handling high levels of stress. An athlete’s ability to manage their stress in high-pressure situations often determines the outcome of the competition. This blog will go in-depth on how athletes can practice to handle high-stress situations, explain research-backed strategies, and provide tips for athletes.

Review of Scientific Literature

Researchers have completed multiple studies regarding competitive stress, driven by its lasting impact on athletes of all backgrounds and skill levels. Competitive stress not only affects an athlete mentally, but it may also impact them physically. The article How Elite Athletes Manage Pressure Before Big Events mentions the fact that high levels of stress may lead to heightened muscle tension, impaired decision-making, and self-doubt (The Mental Game Clinic, n.d.). Athletes can implement several strategies to assist in refocusing, regaining, and maintaining composure before entering a stressful environment. From Burnout to Breakthrough: Strategies for Managing Athlete Anxiety and Burnout outlines some of these major strategies.

One strategy involves the athlete using mental skills training, which includes goal setting, visualization of success, and controlling one’s breathing (Dees, 2025). These strategies are proven to help stabilize one’s emotions and prepare the mind for competition. The athlete will also experience decreased heart rate, lower cortisol levels, and increased composure (Nuetzel, n.d.). Additionally, the article explores cognitive behavioral techniques. This allows the athlete to shift negative thoughts and anxiety to positive emotions, such as excitement and motivation. A positive mindset leads to improved performance by assisting in negating thoughts of anxiety and stress and calming the mind and body (De Witte, 2024). Positive self talk is also extremely important and contributes to decreased anxiety levels, increased performance, more confidence, and better concentration (Xia, 2024).

The effectiveness of pre-performance routines in sports: a meta-analysis is another article that talks about having an individualized pre performance routine. Repetition and keeping the same routine is for athletes to help control stress and emotions when it comes to high pressure situations because you will be prepared and feel ready for any situation. A study was done that showed athletes before having a pre performance routine and the changes it made on the athlete once they created and used one. The study showed a positive association with athletes having an individualized pre performance routine and lower stress levels with increased performance (Rupprecht et al., 2021).

Implications For Practitioner

Creating a pre-performance routine extends far beyond improving cognitive and behavioral functioning. Mastering Stress Management: Essential Strategies for Athletes explains the importance of athletes taking care of their bodies when they are away from their sport, and how these habits are critical if an athlete wants to be successful. The text touches on habits for preparing your body for competition, writing on routines such as hydrating, practicing good time management, and eating a fulfilling, nutritious diet. Additionally, the article emphasizes the importance of recovery by listing certain methods such as proper sleep, massages, and cryotherapy (getphysical.com, 2025). These practices help ensure that an athlete’s body is well-equipped to handle the vigorous, high-stress levels of competition that are faced on a day-to-day basis. If an athlete fails to prioritize these habits, their performance levels can drop exponentially, resulting in effects such as increased fatigue, low concentration, and a prolonged recovery process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, feelings of stress and anxiety have been given a negative connotation by many athletes and coaches alike. In reality, stress is not only a natural emotion, but is something that can be used as a tool. Learning different strategies and practices to manage stress can help athletes not only improve performance in stressful situations but also enhance their overall performance throughout the entire competition. Examples of strategies an athlete might use include a pre-performance routine, cognitive behavioral techniques, and maintaining a healthy routine outside of competition. If an athlete is able to manage stress and emotions in competition, their game and overall life could improve tremendously.

References

Dees, D. (2025, June 10). From Burnout to Breakthrough: Strategies for Managing Athlete Anxiety and Burnout. Kent State Online. Retrieved November 20, 2025, from https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/blog/from-burnout-to-breakthrough-strategies-for-managing-athlete-anxiety-and-burnout

De Witte, M. (2024, July 25). How pro athletes handle pressure – and how you can, too. Stanford Report. Retrieved November 21, 2025, from https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/07/deep-breath-see-the-ball-trust-how-pro-athletes-handle-stress

The effectiveness of pre-performance routines in sports: a meta-analysis. (n.d.). Taylor and Francis. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2021.1944271#d1e279

getphysical.com. (2025). Mastering Stress Management: Essential Strategies for Athletes. getphysical.com. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://www.getphysical.com/blog/stress-management-strategies-for-athletes

How Elite Athletes Manage Pressure Before Big Events. (n.d.). The Mental Game Clinic. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://thementalgame.me/blog/how-elite-athletes-manage-pressure-before-big-events

Nuetzel, B. (n.d.). Coping strategies for handling stress and providing mental health in elite athletes: a systematic review. Coping strategies for handling stress and providing mental health in elite athletes: a systematic review. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10687549/

Rupprecht, A., Tran, U., & Gropel, P. (2021, October). The effectiveness of pre-performance routines in sports: a meta-analysis. Retrieved November 20, 2025, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355353390_The_effectiveness_of_pre-perform ance_routines_in_sports_a_meta-analysis

Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2024). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Human Kinetics.

Xia, E. (2024, March). The Relationships Between Stressors, Emotion and Sport Performance of Adolescents. Retrieved November 21, 2025, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380090755_The_Relationships_Between_Stres sors_Emotion_and_Sport_Performance_of_Adolescents