Stress and the Adolescent Athlete
Smoll; Smith
Adolescent Medicine 2(1): 47-64
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 1041-3499 PMID: 10350739 Document Number: 373554
Some degree of stress is inherent in all competitive situations. But some athletes experience excessive chronic stress that can contribute to a variety of psychological as well as physical maladies. This chapter emphasizes that an understanding of the antecedents, dynamics, and consequences of athletic stress can pave the way for preventive, diagnostic, and remedial measures. The role of physicians in helping coaches, parents, and adolescent athletes to keep competition with a healthy perspective is addressed, and a relaxation training program is described.