Coaches - ever had athlete get panic attacks during workouts/meets?

I have a girl on our team who has something like that. It's quit interesting. She has talent though, ran a 5:12 in her HS freshman year. Passed out after that though.

Describe her panic attack. Is it before or during workouts? Is she having difficulty breathing? If so does it come before the workout or only during the hard workout?. Does she have history of asthma?

I've in a similar situation currently. What we've tried to do is sit down and narrow down triggers for her anxiety. I've worked closely with her therapist in helping utilize coping strategies, and over the past year she's been able to significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of the panic attacks.

When they happen now, we completely stop our planned workout. Bring her back to a relaxed state, then she usually goes out for an easy run to calm herself down.

I think they key is to work together with those helping her and to remind her that her being happy is what's most important. I have a bit of luck in that I'm also her school counselor so I've been able to help her manage her anxiety throughout the day, not just on the track. Utilize the resources around you to find what works for her.

Yes, and it's always girls (and a gay boy). I myself used to throw up before hard workouts and races because I was so nervous but I always got the job done and ran great. Why can't kids cope with stress?

idontgetit wrote:

Yes, and it's always girls (and a gay boy). I myself used to throw up before hard workouts and races because I was so nervous but I always got the job done and ran great. Why can't kids cope with stress?

Stress comes out in many different ways. Sometimes it isn't even workout stress or competition stress. Sometimes it's anxiety that stems from a compulsion to succeed and if any perception of failure creeps in, then the day is shot. That's developed over years and may just be surfacing out on the track.

I often think to myself how lucky I was that it happened for me to see, and not when they're out and alone w/ no support.

I think we often get so wrapped up in the allure of winning and being state champions and Penn qualifiers and NXN competitors that we forget that our purpose is to help kids grow into young adults, and to provide them with a safe place that they can make that transition in.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

I hope she doesn't start falling on the last lap of race when she sees she can't win.

Panicked Coach wrote:

I have coached for 6 years and have not experienced this before.

I have a soph girl who during hard workouts gets mild panic attacks that affect her ability to train hard. In asking her about it, she doesn't really pinpoint what sets them off, other than it's only during hard training.

She does take an anti anxiety med everyday, so she is prone to these feelings apparently.

She has some natural talent (this is her first year in track, tore her ACL in basketball last year) and I think she could be a boost to the team.

Any words of advise on words to offer her to settle her down or other parts of her life she could alter that could help? She is a really sweet, happy girl and well liked by her teammates (at least by outward appearances)

Are these group workouts? If so, you might try having her do a few by herself and see what happens. It could be she worries about keeping up, and that plus the stress of a workout is a trigger.

Yes

I can't help much with advice except to share a success story I've witnessed from a distance. A coaching friend of mine had a great youth runner who was among the better kids in our USATF circuit. After a few years she started to suffer panic attacks and would go from leading the race one minute to hyperventilating and barely finishing the next. It happened every race and I'd stand with the coach as he tried to tal her through it.

I don't know how she got over it but she's one of the best in the state again as a high school junior. She survived.

I used to get near panic attacks before hard workouts and races. I think it stemmed from the reality that I was going to be pushed beyond my limits, with someone else in control. Working out alone helped me because I could incrementally push myself up to the edge, and would often get better results that way. For races, there wasn't much I could do because getting pushed beyond my limits by someone else was kind of the point.

Thanks for the feedback!

I think most of her anxiety is triggered by thinking she won't be able to complete the race/workout successfully. Could be related to the anticipation of the pain that is coming as well.

I hadn't thought about isolating her in workouts. That might be something to consider.

I hope with experience this will subside. She is sticking with it though, so that is good.

Way to stigmatize a mental health issue. Idiot.

Panicked Coach wrote:

Thanks for the feedback!

I think most of her anxiety is triggered by thinking she won't be able to complete the race/workout successfully. Could be related to the anticipation of the pain that is coming as well.

I hadn't thought about isolating her in workouts. That might be something to consider.

I hope with experience this will subside. She is sticking with it though, so that is good.

Yeah, either alone, or with a group of athletes that are of a similar fitness level so she feels more comfortable.

Although the anxiety may be difficult to manage, it means she cares deeply about doing well and can't stand to lose.

xcrsc01 wrote:Stress comes out in many different ways. Sometimes it isn't even workout stress or competition stress. Sometimes it's anxiety that stems from a compulsion to succeed and if any perception of failure creeps in, then the day is shot. That's developed over years and may just be surfacing out on the track.

I think you're absolutely right. I've coached girls that are totally compulsive in their need to succeed. They will spend an extra 3 hours at night overdoing a project so that they receive a grade of 100, because a 99/100 would be crushing to them.

So how do we manage them on the track, when the point of the race is to take risks and not be afraid of failure?

Please tell me how I'm stigmatizing mental illness.... please....

SoundsGood wrote:

xcrsc01 wrote:Stress comes out in many different ways. Sometimes it isn't even workout stress or competition stress. Sometimes it's anxiety that stems from a compulsion to succeed and if any perception of failure creeps in, then the day is shot. That's developed over years and may just be surfacing out on the track.

I think you're absolutely right. I've coached girls that are totally compulsive in their need to succeed. They will spend an extra 3 hours at night overdoing a project so that they receive a grade of 100, because a 99/100 would be crushing to them.

So how do we manage them on the track, when the point of the race is to take risks and not be afraid of failure?

For us, it's been hard. She's never dropped out of a race, yet. I always remind her that she's ok, and that she isn't a failure. We try to create a supportive situation. I use signals with her as she races (thumbs up, thumbs down) so she can tell me how it's going. She writes "I can do it" on her hands before she races. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I always tell her that we'll keep trying. If something doesn't work, we'll try something new. I think it's important for them to know we'll never give up. Again, this is only 10 years of working in mental health talking, I'm no expert. No one is. Everyone is different.

What I would do is instruct her to finish in last place for a few workouts and races. That may take the fear of not always having to be at the top. See how that works.

Maybe take away splits and distances etc.?

I think people can sometimes get so upset and worked up over hitting workout splits that just telling them to run for 8 x 3 minutes hard with a minute jog untimed on grass is a million times easier for them than 8 x km. Physiologically the same effect but no mental pressure.

Similarly - in races lose the watch....

I have known a few runners who have had anxiety issues. First, it is important to go to a doctor and make sure there isn't a health issue. With young athletes, problems with an elevated heart rate isn't something you want to conclude on your own is totally psychological. Second, the easiest thing to do short term is to try to de-pressurize everything. Do not call out splits or let her wear a watch during workouts. Just have her run workouts by feel. At races, have her go out easy and see how many runners she can pick off in the second half. Third, if modification of the environment does not get you anywhere, definitely see whether the parents would get her to a psychiatrist. Panic attacks are not always about performance anxiety. Panic attacks can often come from a completely unrelated emotional issue. Once you get into that issue and resolve it, the panic attacks subside. I have seen that happen several times.