Peer Pressure
Intro: The distraction and perceived pressure of an audience can often cut into an athlete’s technical skills that have not yet been mastered. When someone hasn’t yet mastered these movements, insecurity often arises. Of course, the negative impact of peer performance can be overcome through training and hard work, since people often take greater accountability for their actions when others put a heavy weight on their shoulders.
Case study: Aaron Lennon
The 30-year-old Everton player, recently detained by police under the Mental Health Act to receive care for a stress-related illness, has been dealing with a burden of expectation for 18 years. He was found to be a mere 12 years old at Leeds United when the club was “just waiting for him to play for the first team”. There is no telling whether these difficulties have contributed in the slightest way to these events, which are not thought to have come as a total surprise to some who know him. Stress-related illness strikes with brutal unpredictability. Nevertheless, Lennon has never been the type of player to brush away the vagaries of the game.
Helping players is difficult because many fear a manager finding out. A former player liaison officer at one of the Premier League’s most enlightened clubs describes how his own department and the physiotherapists identified one player’s possible mental health problem and took a collective decision to inform the team doctor, who had the club’s full-time psychologist to draw upon. “But the challenge is that the player won’t then accept the help the club is offering as they think the medical staff will run and tell the manager,” explains the former officer.
Conclusion: It's important to realize these dilemmas quickly as athletes may not have a lot of people to turn to in times of distress. Coaches have to realize the effects that their words have over their actions, as they can cause permanent damage.
Sources Cited:
“How Does Peer Pressure Impact Your Performance?” How Does Peer Pressure Impact Your Performance? | Pat’s Gym, www.patsgym.com/knowledge/how-does-peer-pressure-impact-your-performance/#:~:text=The%20distraction%20and%20perceived%20pressure,can%20be%20overcome%20through%20training. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.
Kazazi, Marianna. “The Influence of Peer Pressure: How Athletes Can Make Smart Financial Choices.” The Sports Financial Literacy Academy, 27 Dec. 2023, moneysmartathlete.com/athletes-financial-psychology/the-influence-of-peer-pressure-how-athletes-can-make-smart-financial-choices/.
“Football Reaches out to Aaron Lennon, Who Has Carried Burden of Expectation since He Was 12.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 4 May 2017, www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/aaron-lennon-mental-health-act-everton-burden-of-expectation-since-he-was-12-a7716366.html.