Build mental toughness http://www.mentaltoughnesstrainer.com Thinking about bad or negative thoughts causes anxiety. Our bodies respond as if we were in real physical danger! To get out of that fear, I ask "If you don't win, will you lose all your friends? Home? Weighing the importance they placed on the match and worked themselves up with a thought.
"What are you really afraid of that might happen if you lose or choke?" Most worry they will "fail" and look stupid. I ask, "What is failure?" They begin to realize what they are really afraid of is feeling difficult emotions like embarrassment, disappointment, inadequacy. So the truth is athletes get performance anxiety because they are afraid of feeling their difficult emotions. They need to embrace their difficult emotions by understanding that all emotions are good and useful. http://www.teenmentaltoughness.com to download FREE: "10 Commandments For A Great Sports Parent" ebook & Master The Pressure guided visualization.