tidbit #62

Tomahawk Tidbit

Stress is a key component of sports. Understanding what happens in your body when stress enters the player’s is essential to controlling it and success.

Imagine a Grizzly Bear knocking on your front door. Your mind and body will instantly enter a Fight or Flight mode and will automatically begin to prepare itself.

Heart Rate will increase, Repertory will increase, and blood flow will be diverted to essential areas of the body to either fight or run.

The part of this process that hurts players is with the blood diversion.

80% of our blood flow is used for digestion. When more blood is needed to power other parts of the body for fighting or running it is taken from the digestion system. This is where the need to suddenly urinate or stomach queasiness comes from. Your digestion system is no long working at full capacity.

The body also prepares itself to be wounded and begins to eliminate blood loss from cuts and scratches. It begins to take blood away from the arms and legs as a protective mechanism. When a player says the ball just did not feel right or the ball just got heavy. This is why. 

Keeping a players relaxed at all times will keep a player at his best.
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Know the Why.