FACULTY OF SPORTS SCIENCE AND RECREATION

SR 111
DIPLOMA IN SPORT AND RECREATION
MANAGEMENT

SPS 231 – INTRODUCTION TO SPORT

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT:
REPORT WRITING – PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES IN
SPORTS

NAME NUR AIN FATIHAH BINTI HAMIDI

PREPARED FOR :
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................... 1
2.0 AROUSAL AND ANXIETY ........................................................................................ 2
2.1 MOTIVATION ............................................................................................................. 3
3.0 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 4
4.0 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 5
5.0 APPENDIX .................................................................................................................... 6
1.0 INTRODUCTION

Figure 1: Michael Phelps

BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

Michael Fred Phelps II was an American Swimmer ,who was born in Towson ,Maryland on June 30,

1985.He studies at Loyola High School pool. Phelps started training at North Baltimore Aquatic Club

in seven years old .He is greatest Olympian swimmer by won 28 Olympic medals and 23 gold medals

,also breaking Olympic record .

Phelps also known as GOAT ( Greatest of All Time ) .His first career began on 2001 U.S. spring

nationals in 200-metre butterfly as American swimming Olympics team for Sydney 2000 which he was

in 15 years old. He continues aim to broke his own record at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka,

Japan where it was his first international gold medal. In Athens 2004 , Phelps being a youngest record

holder in 400m individual medley and won his first Olympic gold medal . Phelps continue with his

career when won eight gold medals in Beijing 2008 Olympic, biggest record that his have made[Figure

2]. In Olympic of London 2012 his lost gold medal in the final of 200-metre butterfly stroke, Phelps

defeat to South Africa’s Chad le Clos .He claiming that he was done with sport. Phelps considered

suicide , depression and anxiety after his defeat. He came back after getting motivation and won five

gold medals and one silver on Rio 2016 Olympic and announce to retired from Olympic to enjoying his

life with his family.

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2.0 AROUSAL AND ANXIETY

Arousal means a combination of psychological and psychological activity within a person and deals with

level of motivation at any specific time while anxiety about negative emotional state.

In every game or before games will started, Michael Phelps told that he really thinking about fans

because they will put highly expectation to him. Regarding Phelps status, his is a famous icon with too

many pressures when this has happened. As the result, he suffers anxiety after was beaten in stroke 200-

metres individual medley in London Olympic 2012. He claims that he enough with sport. Other than

that , Phelps also claiming that he doesn’t want to joining Olympic of London 2012 after getting a biggest

achievement in Beijing Olympic on 2008 with won eight gold medals in every stroke swimming. Phelps

interest in Olympics at this time was very low and ultimately had an impact on his performance. Olympic

London 2012 is the low gained medals compared to the others Olympic game Phelps involved.

Phelps remembered his first games in 2000 U.S. spring nationals he didn’t bring back any medal. He

told he always want more and more about achievement in his life. Bring back to 2004 [Figure 3], where

his names really being up in Olympic for youngest record holder . Phelps getting arrested because

drunken driving when he was 19 years old and was finally punished to 18 months’ probation. This is

first phase he getting into depression. In 2009, he was caught of smoking marijuana at a party .Phelps

told swimming is his major sport but right now he wanted to focus on individual of him. [ Figure 4]

.After hits low medal in 2012, he suffers with mental illness where he sitting alone in bedroom , don’t

eat anything , barely sleeping and wanted to suicide . Phelps mental also down and having low self-

confident when want to make his comeback after making problem in his life.

According his story , Phelps disorder with ADHD also known as Hyperactive disorder when he was in

sixth-grades . Phelps lost her focus while in class and getting anxiety about his studies.

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2.1 MOTIVATION

Motivation defined as the direction and intensity of one’s effort. Despite to suffer with arousal and

anxiety after his Olympic London 2012 , he retired to seeking motivation for challenge it.

INTRINSIC

Phelps motivation based of intrinsic because from childhood he really aims for Olympic games and

wanted to become a best athlete in swimming sport. Every single day of Phelps is fully with swimming

activities. He enjoys with swimming and love it.

EXTRINSIC

He firstly started his career in 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan and getting his own gold

first international medals, Phelps really wanted to full his self-actualization needs. He really making his

dream comes true by broke his own world record every Olympic .Sometimes when he fell really down,

he locked himself without doing anything. This similar with introvert person to be alone.

Michael Phelps share his taught about many athletes suffer with mental health but ended up with suicide.

He really doesn’t want it happened to another young athlete and himself. To overcome every challenge,

he writes down a routine to stay stable in his day to day life. Phelps also visualize himself swimming

the entire distance of a race, both from the perspective of someone in the stands and from his own point

of view in the pool while lying on the bed.

In many victories there is bound to be defeat, Phelps fix his defeat to being perform well in the next

games. According Phelps’s coach , he never missed up to practice her swimming in his life. Phelps try

harder to achieve goals in training and competition. When sometime people talking a bad thing about

him, Phelps will accept and turn it into his strengthens. When he realized to getting in bad situation

again, he asking for helps from medical mental health .

In Olympic Rio 2016, Phelps makes his comeback after being in hard situation. He finally won five gold

medal and one silver before really ended up his career.

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3.0 CONCLUSION

Michael Phelps who is a greatest of all-time having challenging himself in any situation during his career

as Olympian athlete. He really dealing with his problem in very good ways. Which ways Phelps seeking

for asking help from medical after retained in his career in Olympic 2012. He suffers very much pain

alone to trying find himself. Phelps face up with great pressure when he really thinks cannot be a good

and couldn’t returned medals to home .He really think more and more to win ,but when he cannot achieve

it, he really disappointment with himself. Phelps be alive with his dream to be a greater because he really

in bad situation when sixth grades where he suffers with ADHD disorder but with high motivated on

himself, he really finds what he really needed and wanted to stay alive.

In my perspective of this athlete by related to psychology issues, there is no way to running away from

your problem with being alone and hiding yourself in front others. You need to find yourself . Only you

can realize what you feel , what you really wanted and what you have suffer no matter in stress , anxiety

or another mental health.

I was agreed , with psychological exposure and learning can benefit athletes in overcoming all of their

mental problems while facing extraordinary challenges whether inside or outside the game. Other than

that, human is a unique and complex organism to accomplish a bad or good thing in their life. Knowing

your limit and seeking for help before late because the main killer is not the people around but your own

mind that limits everything.

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4.0 REFERENCES

Schaller, B. ,Gainer ,R. ,& Leak, J.( 2008). MICHAEL PHELPS: The Untold Story of a Champion. St.

Martin’s Paperbacks.

Scutti , S. (2018). Michael Phelps: 'I am extremely thankful that I did not take my life' . Journal of CNN

Health. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/19/health/michael-phelps-

depression/index.html

Almasy , S. ( 2014) .Michael Phelps suspended by USA Swimming for six months . Journal of CNN

Sport. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/06/sport/michael-phelps-

suspended/index.html

Rhodan, M. (2016). Michael Phelps Did Not Want to Compete in the 2012 Olympics. TIME USA.

Retrieved from https://time.com/4309230/michael-phelps-2012-olympics/

Linden, J. (2012). Phelps loses his touch in butterfly final . Journal from RUETERS SPORT NEWS.

Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oly-swim-swm2bu-

idUSBRE86U1CZ20120731

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5.0 APPENDIX

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4