Effect of Media on Athletes

520 Words3 Pages
Rough Draft: Athletic Performance Based on the Media Many athletes are faced with challenges due to the media and it tends to cause unneeded stress and worry. The media dictates so much of an athlete’s life and is directly correlated to how the athlete plays. All athletes respond differently to criticism. The media has a huge impact on the athlete and their performance. Athletes are put under so much pressure to make the throw, make the catch, or score the point, that they forget why they play or even enjoy the sport. Some athletes allow the media to dictate who they are as a person. The media effects athletes in many ways and much of who an athlete is, is molded by the media: the things they worry about, the things they stress about, and how they react to things based on their mood’s. In today’s society, many athletes crumble under the high demands that the media places upon them. Many studies have been done and many players will tell you how anxiety has and can affect the mental and physical output an athlete is capable of. Kenny Rogers a major league baseball player has had many altercations with the media, from tackling a cameraman to yelling at photographers; one could conclude that he is negatively affected by the media and how it portrays him. “The Multidimensional Anxiety Theory by Martens et al., for instance, focuses on the anxiety response that accompanies high levels of stress.”(USSA) Anxiety is caused by many different factors. People can become anxious when they do not have confidence in their abilities in a particular situation or feel out of control. When a person is anxious, they are distracted, can’t concentrate, and can’t maintain attention. Since an athlete must make quick decisions, one can see how anxiety and stress can affect the performance level. The emphasis that the media may put on an athlete’s poor performance can cause
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