Sports Psychology

athletes toward higher-efficiency strategies, such as shooting from the three-point line in basketball. Over-confidence in inefficient plays can cost a team even if they manage to score. Stress Every person, from school pupils taking a test to soccer players competing in the World Cup, feels stress. A full one-fifth of working Americans have said that stress made them quit a job—and few of those Americans ever worked a job where their performance was broadcast on television. The consequences of victory or defeat can weigh heavily on athletes, making it more difficult to perform physical or mental functions, including competitions in their sport. Stress can come from positive outcomes as well as negative outcomes. Athletes often enjoy notoriety , whether they are a high-school state champion or an Olympic gold medal winner, and that may come with unwelcome consequences: some

Michael Jordanas a RoleModel

Often considered the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan’s career in the NBA involvedmany controversies regarding the morality of his actions, particularly gambling, at a time when he was one of the best-known persons on the planet. Jordan often defended his choices in the media, famously giving a TV interview about his gambling habit in 1993. He chose to wear sunglasses in the interview, a move that came across to many viewers as if he had something to hide. In the documentary on Jordan’s career, The Last Dance , he said, “If I could do it all over again, I would never want to be considered a role model.”

Chapter 3: Common and Unusual Issues

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