Do you ever get butterflies in your stomach before you compete called pregame jitters? Do you get really nervous before the start of a big match or game and can't relax after the game starts? Most athletes have felt the negative effects of pressure during their athletic career.

Even the best athletes feel pressure before a big game, but they know how to channel the pressure into positive intensity to boost performance. What is pressure and how do athletes experience it?

Pressure is a perceived expectation of the need to perform well under challenging situations. Fear of failure and expectation is tied to pressure. When an athletes worries about disappointing others, for examples, he or she is putting pressure on him or herself to not fail or look silly.

Dr. Patrick Cohn is a master mental game coaching who works with junior to professional athletes at Peak Performance Sports, LLC.

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