Sport in a ‘bubble’: How is it affecting athletic performance?

Sport is now being played in a bubble and the interesting question is whether it is affecting players’ and teams’ performances and outcome? Even in a pandemic, researchers are licking their lips behind their facemasks for that “once in a lifetime” opportunity to study the effects on athletic behaviours.

The world “bubble” has been coined simply because everything that is in the bubble has been tested, cleaned and is Covid-free and everything outside is not allowed inside for fear of contamination.

The NBA have pushed back their 75^th season due to stringent planning and processes. Players will be required to self-quarantine well before the tentative 22 December start and undergo Covid testing prior to them entering the three-months lockdown bubble and upon entry. Psychologists fear that not having the family touch and connectedness may impact player performance.

The Masters golf tournament (currently being played in Augusta, Georgia) went ahead this year without any fans, and players, caddies, staff and trainers, and wives were all placed in a mini tournament bubble. Players got screened ahead of the tournament and if they failed the test twice, they would have had to follow self-quarantine procedures, and not be allowed to play. Unfortunately, Sergio Garcia and Joaquin Niemann tested positive for Covid and are not participating in the tournament.

There are a lot of questions regarding the “bubble” and the most asked question is, “Will it affect player performance?” There is no one answer to this complexity of a question because there are so many variables to take into account. Each variable has its own cause and effect and magnitude specific to each player.

The “bubble” brings its own set of challenges and some players it will favour and some players it won’t. If you ever have the privilege of attending a live NBA game, you will notice the crowds are ruthless. Players are expected to make free throws with the crowds booing. There is a direct correlation to the loudness of noise and obscene gestures to how important the free throw is in winning the game.

Professional players over time learn to block out the external noises but fans in seats boo in the hope that the player loses focus and attention and causes him to miss the shot. This is the nature of the game and this is what basketball players have grown up with, so they are used to their environment.

Moving over to golf now, I am sure you have whispered unintentionally once or twice before on a friend’s backswing only to be met with a flurry of F-bombs. As you apologetically acknowledge your mistake, you can’t help but think, even if you didn’t speak, it still wouldn’t have helped his swing any better.

Golf has different rules of engagement and players that have been brought up to be sensitive to tiny noises and movements during a swing. If you had any NBA fans watching the Masters live with their NBA courtside behaviours, I can only imagine how funny it would be watching the golfers throw their tantrums, break clubs, and walk off.

All golfers have technically grown up in their four-man round “bubble” and only once you make the transition to tours then you have fans by your side. Pro basketball, soccer and other team sports have always been subjected to crowds throughout their years. How someone perceives their environment is how they will react to it. Golf is played in silence and any loud noise normally throws a golfer’s direction off.

NBA is played in noise and it’s up to the skill level of the players to block out the external noises because there is nothing they can do about it to turn it off. Pro golfers just wiggle their fingers and give a death stare and the “swat team marshals” appear within seconds out of nowhere and neutralise the threat chirping too loudly.

A star player might thrive on fans cheering for him, yet a newbie might not because of the level of pressure of tens of thousands of fans watching you miss a free throw. Perhaps now that there are no fans “the newbies” have an easier and more forgiving environment to nurture their talent in.

Environments do contribute to a large portion of internal player and team motivation, but it is important to remember that as the playing fields change, players and teams have to adapt, too, in order to survive. If your dream was to play in front of thousands of fans, then you might have a hard time adjusting, but if your dream was to play alongside the world’s greatest playing in the sport you love then you have a greater chance of fitting right in. If you are battling to come to terms with the “bubble”, do not be scared to reach out to a mental coach with a psychology background to help you refocus your energy on an aspiration in your current situation. They are trained and specialise in getting you motivated for success.

• Look out for next week’s part two article in which I will delve deeper into topics of sex and sports performance, why home games are an advantage, adrenaline buzz fans give to players, and how endurance is improved by singing fans.

Sean van Staden

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