The Nerves Don't Go Away: Managing Anxiety for High Performance in Sport and Life

GOATs get nervous too. This talk will explore tools that elite athletes and performers use to befriend their anxieties so that they can bring their best. We'll discuss research and strategies from sports psychology and yoga therapy. We'll also discuss the effects of trauma on anxiety and trauma-informed practices for anxiety management and high performance.

Margaret Smith, PhD, RYT-500, TCTSY-F is the sport psychology provider for Team USA Wheelchair Rugby (@usawr), the only full contact Paralympic sport, also known as Murderball. She's supported the team to three Paralympic Silver medals in Rio, Tokyo, and Paris as well as numerous international championships. She teaches for the United States Army Cadet Command's Master Educator Course and Auburn University's Alabama Prison Arts and Education Project, writes The Athlete's Nervous System blog for Psychology Today and sees athletes and yoga therapy clients at Full Well Neurofeedback and Counseling in Hoover.