By Dr Kent L Bazard

IN the final part of our “Hitting the Wall” series, we’ll dive into one of the most challenging barriers for athletes to navigate - emotional blocks. 

Emotional hurdles in sports are often shaped by a combination of self-expectations, interpersonal relationships and a high level of commitment over long periods. 

Unlike physical or mental blocks, emotional blocks often influence an athlete’s overall mindset and approach to their sport.

For athletes, managing emotional blocks is essential for both short-term success and long-term fulfillment. 

Here, we’ll unpack what these blocks look like, explore how they impact performance and outline ways to handle them to maintain resilience and passion in the pursuit of athletic goals.

Understanding Emotional Blocks

Emotional blocks are internal obstacles often caused by complex feelings such as fear of failure, fear of judgment, burnout, or even pressure to meet personal and external expectations. They can be amplified by:

• Personal Expectations and Self-Worth: Many athletes tie their self-worth to their performance. When they fall short, it’s easy to feel disappointed or even doubt their purpose in the sport.

• Relationships and Support Systems: The people surrounding an athlete - coaches, teammates, family members - are influential in shaping emotional resilience. Sometimes, well-meaning supporters can unintentionally add pressure, which compounds an athlete’s emotional fatigue.

• Burnout: Training hard and competing at a high level can drain emotional reserves. Burnout, a state of emotional exhaustion, happens when the passion for the sport begins to feel more like an obligation than a joy.

• Fear of Injury or Setbacks: For athletes with past injuries or setbacks, fear of a repeat incident can lead