Imagine a huge stadium waiting for the decisive goal. How does the player feel at this time? The same as you are at the exam or the first interview, or is his stress immeasurably greater? The athletes themselves say that the emotions they experience at such decisive moments are incomparable with any other.
Dealing with enormous stress is part of the culture of the sport. If an athlete is able to be calm in a situation of pressure and discomfort, only after that, in fact, his work begins. Because all those high results that he confidently showed many times in training do not count. Against strength, speed and technique, small tremors in the knees, heartbeat and wet palms begin to play. The main opponent for some athletes are themselves.
It would seem that the looks and breath of thousands of spectators behind your back is already the limit. But in sports, as in life, there are moments that require even more self-control and self-confidence from you. Your team lost three games in a row and in the last one you got the strongest opponent, and it is you who are standing in front of him now. First exit after a serious injury. Or a sudden breakdown of equipment right before the start, when the nerves are already heated to the limit …
We invite you to take the following test, imagining yourself for a minute in a big sport. It is taken from a real program of psychological preparation of athletes1.
On separate pieces of paper, write down the answers to his questions and put them together. You will need these sheets on the eve of the test, whether it is an exam or another situation where maximum concentration is required from you.
1. What is my motivation (Why am I here?)
Intrinsic Motivation: Why Am I Involved?
External motivation: what benefits does participation give me? If there is any personal “secret goal”, say it too.
What do I need to improve (including in character) to achieve this goal?
What is the easiest step you can take now to acquire the missing skills (and you haven’t already)?
2. Imagine victory in every detail: what do you see? (tribunes, sand?) what do you hear? (whistling, screaming fans…) What smell do you smell? Taste? What are your feelings at this moment? Write it down.
Now describe your feelings that led you to this victory, BEFORE the competition, during and AFTER. Keep this picture-ideal in mind.
3. List the situations in which you “feed the monster” during competition or training (berate yourself or doubt yourself). Write down what you say to yourself verbatim. For example, “I have short legs”, “I will trip on the turn”, “The judge is dishonest”, “The weather will get bad”… Read them. What do you feel when you read these phrases? To make a difference, come up with and write down positive (and realistic) phrases to replace the previous ones. (“I have good chances this year”, “This is my favorite track, I know it like five fingers”, “The forecast for tomorrow is quite accurate, and in general, sport is sport.”)
4. What is the most critical moment of the competition for you psychologically? When can you give in and lose control of yourself? Write out one under the other short phrases (affirmations) that will fill you with strength and confidence at a critical moment. If you have a problem starting (you are very nervous or late, or, conversely, take off early), imagine a coach who calmly says to you: “Well, let’s go!” If you get lost when your opponent passes you, imagine your friend shouting “Do it!”. If you are nervous on the eve of the competition, write in advance those words that will restore your confidence. Write down the strongest affirmations for every situation in which you lose control.
Read more:
- How to gain personal power? 5 steps
Affirmations are not in the future or past tense, they must have a clear rhythm. Compare the following statements and give preference to the ones on the right.
“I’ll try to do my best.” = “This is my game. This is my race. I am full of energy.”
“I don’t know if I can, but I will try really hard.” = “I can. I will overcome all barriers.”
“I trained to the maximum.” = “I am ready. I believe in you”.
5. Inspiration. Write down five quotes or sayings that inspire and fill you with joy. Think of five movies and at least five songs. Upload them to your player as a separate list.
6. Concentration at critical moments. What is your Achilles heel? (This may be excessive nervousness at the start, the ability to quickly get ahead and then give up at the finish line, irascibility and sharp emotional reactions to rivals, etc.). It can also be purely sporting moments – list them here to remind yourself again on the eve of the competition when you need to be especially careful.
When do I need to be as focused as possible to prevent this weakness from showing up? What should be my focus at this moment?
7. From obstacles to opportunities. Remember injuries, falls, losses, if they happened to you. What would you do to prevent them? If fear remains in you, voice it and give all the arguments in favor of the fact that now the situation is different and everything will go differently. If it helps you, remember the famous athletes who, after injuries and failures, reached new heights.
Read more:
- Four Steps to Peace of Mind
before the start
On the eve of the test (competitions, interviews, performances …) take out the sheets with your notes and review them in the following order:
- Inspirational Phrases
- Music before the performance (it’s time to listen to it)
- Your goals (including a personal “secret goal”)
- Visualization of the scenario of your victory
- Sports Affirmations for When You Might Lose the Will to Win
- Those critical moments of the performance that require special concentration
Pass the tests
- What makes your life difficult?
1 Carrie Ciddle “On the Top of Your Game” (C. Сheadle “On Top of Your Game”, Feed the Athlete Press, 2013).