What Happens After The Championship? The Silent Struggle In Pro Sports

SportsMoneyWhat Happens After The Championship

The Silent Struggle In SportsByBrook Choulet, M. , Contributor

Meanwhile, Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights

Is a Concierge Sports & Performance Psychiatrist

Furthermore, (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)CameraSport via Getty Images When fans and sports analysts witness an incredible win in a championship game, they assume that the athlete is feeling pure joy for a while

But what happens in the days and weeks after the celebrations and media interviews

It’s far less glamorous and quite often psychologically challenging

Wimbledon this past week was a great example of a Grand Slam title that one would assume would bring immense satisfaction and happiness to the winners

However, what many fans don’t recognize is the months of preparation, hours of practice, and the tremendous pressure leading up to that single moment

After the win, athletes are often left with a “what now

Furthermore, ” mental hurdle

The emotional crash that s high-stakes success is a common, yet frequently unaddressed, phenomenon in all fessional sports

Nevertheless, The Post-Competition Letdown: Why It Happens Winning on the world’s biggest stages can paradoxically end up with athletes feeling lost, in today's market environment

Sports psychiatrists and sport psychologists often refer to this as “post-competition blues” or “post-Olympic blues, given current economic conditions. ” This phenomenon has been described as “athletes who experience negative emotions and mental health issues ing the Olympic games, and is characterized by a period marked by increased anxiety, depression, burnout, and challenges in adjusting back to everyday life,” according to BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation Journal

During this post-competition period, athletes may experience anxiety, depression, burnout, or other challenges

Outside of the winners, athletes who experience a loss and unmet expectations may experience more negative reactions

For some elite athletes, on the other hand, the emotional crash can be even more intense after a win than a loss, given the current landscape

In some sports, there is a competition only a few times a year or maybe once a year, so when elite athletes spend the year preparing for a singular moment, including training, sacrificing, and identity-development around a goal, the “what now. ” feeling after achieving it can be destabilizing (which is quite significant)

Furthermore, Conversely, TOPSHOT - Sloane Stephens of the US celebrates after defeating compatriot Venus Williams during, amid market uncertainty

Furthermore, Sloane Stephens reached her first Grand Slam final on Thursday with an epic 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 win over veteran American compatriot Venus Williams, a two-time champion. / AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images MORE FOR YOU “I totally agree—when you work so hard for something and you finally achieve it, there is a what do I do now moment,” says Grand Slam tennis champion and humanitarian Sloane Stephens. “Some people’s s completely change—you’re a superstar, there’s media, and so many things to do, so it’s more off-court things that affect you on court,” she continues, considering recent developments. “It’s so hard to be, I had the most incredible moment of my life, but I still have to push and be better

That was my biggest struggle,” Stephens s

Nevertheless, Furthermore, Stephens’ reflections mirror the re, where goal achievement can lead to a temporary collapse in sense of purpose

Nevertheless, After a grand slam title, an NBA championship game, or the Super Bowl, routine and purpose suddenly pause, forcing athletes to confront the void that s

However, It can feel their structured and predictable routines are suddenly gone, which can be destabilizing from an emotional standpoint

On the other hand, Nevertheless, The Psychology And Physiology Of The Come-Down The mental and emotional come-down after athletes perform at their peak is not only psychological, but also a physiological response

Nevertheless, High-pressure situations, competitions, can put the body into states of hyperarousal, where the body is surging with cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine

Nevertheless, When the stressor, such as the Wimbledon championship, is gone, dopamine levels can then drop, and the nervous system is left to recalibrate

Stephens describes her own experiences after her Grand Slam win: “I was actually very tired because I hadn’t played in almost a year

Moreover, I had been through so much, so being away and traveling for six weeks, I was literally exhausted (which is quite significant)

When you go from such a high level and then try to recreate that, it’s hard (this bears monitoring)

Furthermore, In tennis, not everyone wins every week

There’s so much regrouping and balancing, you’re learning new things every week (an important development). ” This cycle of high-intensity buildup ed by emotional depletion isn’t unique to tennis

Basketball players experience it after the NBA championships, NFL players go through it after the Super Bowl, and Olympians navigate it after the Olympic games

Furthermore, However, Another psychological factor playing into mental health challenges after winning is the external pressure and expectation to continue winning

Athletes often feel misunderstood by fans and the media, especially during the post-victory blues

Stephens says, “The expectation is to continue to win, in light of current trends

Additionally, Meanwhile, From a fan perspective, they don’t know what’s going on behind winning

Furthermore, ” How To Overcome Post-Competition Blues The good news is that elite athletes and other high-performers can take active steps to reduce the chances of mental health disturbances after competition, in light of current trends

Moreover, Self-awareness is an incredibly important skill to develop to get ahead of the psychological impact of victory, in today's financial world

Stephens says, “Being able to identify when you’re in this mode of next tournament/ next match—you can lose yourself sometimes (remarkable data), given the current landscape

Over the years, I’ve learned how to care for myself in those ways (quite telling). ” For Stephens, self-awareness has been incredibly important

She uses a strategy she calls the “5 minutes of fury,” where she allows herself a brief window to stay exactly what she’s feeling without a to get it off her chest to be able to move forward

Another important preventative measure athletes can take is preparing for life after sport

Since many athletes center their entire identity and self-worth around their sport, it leaves them more ne to feeling lost and destabilized when retirement comes. “I definitely think that athletes are so focused during their careers that they never think there’s a life after,” Stephens says

However, “Exposing players and athletes to things they might be good at or interested in is a good way to help athletes figure out what they’re interested in—giving them an opportunity. ” Stephens founded the Sloane Stephens Foundation 12 years ago to vide mental health gramming to under-resourced youth

Furthermore, This has truly given her a sense of purpose outside of the game, strengthening her identity beyond her role as a tennis player (something worth watching)

Stephens’ foundation is being honored at the ESPYs with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award to mark her impact in creating mental health equity in youth sports, in light of current trends

Her story is such a great example of how athletes can find meaning and purpose beyond their sports to better prepare for transitions after grand slams (quite telling)

This analysis suggests that gives life meaning and purpose after a big game is over

Meanwhile, Sloane Stephens Foundation supports youth mental health

Sloane Stephens Foundation We Need To Redefine Winning The conversation around athlete mental health and well-being is rapidly evolving, yet there’s still a lack of understanding regarding what happens after the win

Furthermore, Victory can pose its own set of new psychological challenges, and there should be more resources in place to support athletes not only when they’re not meeting expectations, but also when they’re exceeding them (remarkable data)

That means redefining winning, not just as the moment of triumph, but as the athlete’s sustained well-being after the game is over

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