You know that light, anxious feeling in your chest before a big match? That's not weakness. That's your body trying to protect you. Somewhere along the way it learned that going all-in and losing hurts — so now it quietly holds you back before you even start. It's hedging. Pulling you out of full commitment so the loss won't sting as much. This is what performance anxiety in athletes actually is: not nerves to be pushed through, but a protective system doing its job at the wo