Coping Under Pressure: How Athletes Can Respond to Stress More Effectively
Stress Is Inevitable in Sport
Competition brings pressure.
Selection uncertainty.
Injury setbacks.
Performance slumps.
Expectation from coaches, teammates, or yourself.
Stress in sport is not unusual — it is part of motivated performance. The key difference between athletes who struggle and those who adapt is not whether stress occurs, but how they cope with it.
Sport psychology research defines coping as:
“Constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person” (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984, p.141).
In simple terms:
Coping is what you do — mentally and behaviourally — when something feels demanding.
Understanding Stress: The Role of Appraisal
Before coping begins, something important happens.
According to Lazarus and Folkman (1984), athletes first engage in cognitive appraisal.
Primary appraisal:
What is at stake here?
Is this situation important?
Is it a challenge or a threat?
Secondary appraisal:
What can I do about it?
Do I have options?
How can I cope?
This aligns closely with research on challenge and threat states in athletes (Jones et al., 2009; Meijen et al., 2020). In both models, your interpretation of demands relative to resources determines how you respond.
Coping begins once you decide:
“This situation matters — and I need to respond.”
Two Core Types of Coping
Lazarus and Folkman (1984) proposed two broad coping categories:
Problem-focused coping
Emotion-focused coping
1. Problem-Focused Coping: Addressing the Situation Directly
Problem-focused coping involves actively trying to change the stressful situation.
This might include:
Identifying the source of the problem
Generating possible solutions
Weighing risks and benefits
Taking deliberate action
In sport, examples include:
Adjusting tactics mid-game
Reviewing technical errors and implementing corrections
Seeking feedback from coaches
Changing training structure
Improving preparation routines
This approach is particularly useful when the situation is controllable.
For example:
You are underperforming technically.
Your pacing strategy is ineffective.
Your preparation routine is inconsistent.
Problem-focused coping says:
“What can I do differently?”
2. Emotion-Focused Coping: Managing Emotional Reactions
Not all stressors can be solved immediately.
You cannot:
Undo a referee decision.
Change weather conditions.
Control an opponent’s performance.
Reverse a mistake instantly.
In these situations, emotion-focused coping becomes valuable.
Emotion-focused coping involves regulating emotional distress rather than altering the stressor itself.
This can include:
Reframing the situation (“This could be worse.”)
Accepting reality
Positive comparisons
Finding meaning in setbacks
Reducing emotional intensity
However, emotion-focused coping can also involve less helpful strategies, such as:
Avoidance (“It doesn’t matter.”)
Pretending the stress isn’t there
Denial
Suppressing emotions
The effectiveness depends on timing and intention.
Reframing and acceptance can be adaptive.
Avoidance and disengagement may reduce short-term distress but impair long-term performance.Mental Toughness and Active Coping
Mental Toughness and Active Coping
Research by Kaiseler et al. (2009) examined mental toughness, stress, and coping in 482 athletes.
Their findings suggested that mentally tough athletes were more likely to use problem-focused (active) coping strategies. They were more willing to confront challenges directly and take purposeful action.
Importantly, mentally tough athletes also reported:
Lower perceived stress
Greater perceived control
This links closely with challenge states (Jones et al., 2009). When athletes feel capable and in control, they are more likely to address problems rather than avoid them.
Problem-focused coping is often associated with:
Higher self-efficacy
Greater perceived control
Approach-oriented goals
Coping Is Dynamic — Not Fixed
One of the most important aspects of coping is that it is dynamic.
Athletes rarely use one single strategy.
Lazarus (1999) introduced the transactional model, emphasising that coping occurs through continuous interaction between:
The athlete’s beliefs
The environment
The demands of the situation
As circumstances change, coping responses change.
Martinent and Nicolas (2017) highlight that athletes often shift between strategies during a single competition.
Effective coping is flexible.
Additional Coping Categories in Sport
Gaudreau and Blondin (2002) expanded coping research in sport and identified three additional categories:
1. Task-Oriented Coping
Focused on addressing the performance task directly.
Examples:
Mental imagery
Logical analysis
Thought control
Refocusing cues
This overlaps strongly with problem-focused coping and is generally associated with more adaptive outcomes.
2. Distraction-Oriented Coping
Involves shifting attention away from stress.
Examples:
Listening to music
Engaging in unrelated conversation
Temporarily distancing from performance concerns
This can reduce immediate emotional overload but may not solve the underlying issue.
3. Disengagement-Oriented Coping
Involves withdrawing effort or mentally giving up.
Examples:
Resignation
Venting frustration
Reducing commitment
“What’s the point?”
Disengagement strategies are typically associated with poorer performance outcomes when used habitually.
When Is Each Coping Strategy Useful?
The effectiveness of coping depends on:
Controllability of the situation
Timing
Athlete beliefs
Psychological resources
If the stressor is controllable:
Problem-focused or task-oriented coping is often most effective.
If the stressor is uncontrollable:
Emotion-focused coping (especially adaptive forms like reappraisal or acceptance) may be more appropriate.
The key question becomes:
“Is this something I can influence right now?”
Practical Applications for Athletes
Understanding coping theory is useful.
Here are evidence-informed strategies to improve coping flexibility.
1. Strengthen Secondary Appraisal
Before reacting, pause and ask:
What exactly is the stressor?
Is this controllable?
What options do I have?
Training this reflection improves coping selection rather than automatic reaction.
2. Develop a Problem-Focused Toolbox
Build clear action strategies for common stressors:
Mistake response routine
Tactical adjustment checklist
Fatigue management plan
Between-set refocus script
Preparation increases perceived control, which reduces stress intensity.
3. Practice Emotional Reappraisal
Instead of:
“This is going badly.”
Try:
“This is uncomfortable, but manageable.”
“This matters — that’s why it feels intense.”
“I can respond effectively.”
Reappraisal does not deny difficulty — it changes interpretation.
4. Avoid Habitual Disengagement
Notice signs of disengagement:
Decreased effort
Negative self-talk
Emotional withdrawal
Blaming external factors
Awareness is the first step to shifting strategy.
5. Build Coping Flexibility
Effective performers do not rigidly use one style.
They:
Confront when needed
Reframe when appropriate
Accept when necessary
Refocus quickly
Coping flexibility is a performance skill.
The Bigger Picture: Coping and Performance
Coping is not separate from performance.
It shapes:
Emotional regulation
Attention
Decision-making
Effort persistence
Confidence
Stress recovery
Athletes who perceive stress as manageable and respond with purposeful coping strategies are more likely to experience:
Higher control
Lower perceived stress
Greater performance consistency
Final Thoughts
Stress is part of sport.
Coping determines what happens next.
You cannot eliminate pressure, but you can influence how you respond to it.
By strengthening:
Self-awareness
Coping flexibility
Problem-solving skills
Emotional regulation
You shift from reacting to stress — to responding strategically.
And that shift can protect both performance and wellbeing.
Bradley Birch
Sport & Exercise Psychologist in Training | QSEP Stage 2
GMBPsS - Member ID: 806679 | MSc Sport & Exercise Psychology
References
Gaudreau, P., & Blondin, J. P. (2002). Development of a questionnaire to assess coping strategies in sport.
Kaiseler, M., Polman, R., & Nicholls, A. (2009). Mental toughness, stress appraisal and coping in athletes.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping.
Lazarus, R. S. (1999). Stress and emotion: A new synthesis.
Martinent, G., & Nicolas, M. (2017). Coping flexibility in sport.
Jones, M., et al. (2009). A theory of challenge and threat states in athletes.
Meijen, C., et al. (2020). Revisiting challenge and threat in athletes.