Athletes often ask us what is better to do in a high-intensity state of tension: release the frustration or keep it all inside? Is it better and easier when we release “all” the frustration caused by a certain mistake, referee decision, or lost point out of our body? Or when we try to suppress, to “swallow” the emotion? <\/p>\n
Athletes react outwardly in various ways: by swearing, loudly arguing with themselves or teammates\/referees, throwing or hitting certain objects, and sometimes by using their own body or parts of their equipment. In some sports, these external reactions to frustration are more visible, which is why we are familiar with examples of tennis players smashing rackets or football players kicking advertising boards next to the pitch. Suppressing or trying to “swallow” the emotion is not as visible to us because athletes try to look cool on the outside even though they are burning with emotion on the inside. Certainly, this is an eternal question to which there is no easy answer as to whether the first or second option is better. <\/p>\n
What happens to the focus of a tennis player who throws or smashes a racket? What happens to the focus of a football player who, dissatisfied with a referee’s decision, kicks the ball into the stands? <\/p>\n
A loss of concentration occurs, the game plan is lost from the mind, and focus points disappear. Similar symptoms appear in an athlete who wants to suppress their emotions so as not to show them outwardly, but burns inside with negative arousal. Releasing frustration outwardly has the effect of temporary relief, but in the long run, it does not help the athlete improve. Also, if we want to be sure that we will react negatively every time, we just need to practice a negative reaction. After a certain number of repetitions, our brain will choose the reaction that comes as a habitual response each time. The consequence of a lack of concentration is more frequent mistakes. Then we quickly enter a vicious cycle: mistake \u2013 negative reaction \u2013 reduced concentration \u2013 mistake. <\/p>\n
What we try to convey to our athletes is the third option \u2013 replacement reactions to frustration.<\/p>\n
Replacement reactions are formed so that athletes react in a quality way when something happens that they themselves evaluate as bad and that puts them in a state of negative emotions. When we talk about a quality reaction, we want the athlete to stay focused on the task and to “reset”. Replacement reactions therefore have the purpose of prevention (so that high frustration does not occur at all), but also of reducing current frustration. <\/p>\n
After each replacement reaction, the focus switches to the present, to the here, to the plan, to the routine, or to focus points. As we said, the goals of replacement reactions are prevention. Just like for any skill, this one also takes time, especially if you have been teaching your brain to react the wrong way for years. <\/p>\n\n
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When we talk about a quality reaction, we want the athlete to stay focused on the task and to “reset.” Replacement reactions therefore serve the purpose of prevention (so that high frustration does not occur in the first place), but also of reducing current frustration. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10522,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[102,31],"tags":[127,125,108],"class_list":["post-10523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletes","category-for-parents","tag-emotional-regulation","tag-focus","tag-mentalni-trening-techniques"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n