Control

“in any environment or situation”

When returning to sport, anxieties and nerves can become overwhelming. However a mentally tough athlete is able to control cognitive and somatic arousal in order to be in the present moment, regardless of pressure. And this pressure can be considered negative, or the expectation for the athlete is to perform greater than they have before, or positive, and due to past success they are expected to live up to that success (Guciardi, 2008). So by being able to control their thoughts and physical response to an environment, an athlete will be able to perform at their best. This is related to The Integrated Model because if an athlete can maintain positive cognitive appraisal, and control their thoughts, they are less likely to have tension within their body (behavioral response), or frustration and fear (emotional response). And likewise if they are able to control how they physically respond to a stressful or stress-less environment, they can maintain a positive outlook on a situation (emotional response), and use their positive coping mechanisms to see the situation as a challenge rather than a threat (cognitive appraisal).

The skills addressed in this section are imagery, breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, knowing how to control what you can control, and Individualized Zone of Optimal Functioning. Many of these skills can be used to manage anxieties and stressors about return to sport, and improve ways to control an individuals body, so even if they feel like their environment is getting out of their control, they are still able to control themselves.