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Shake off those pre-game nerves                   Tune in your brain with this guide to mental preparation from peak performance coach, Tom Bates

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Shake off those pre-game nerves                   Tune in your brain with this guide to mental preparation from peak performance coach, Tom Bates

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PICTURE SUCCESS THE NIGHT BEFORE

By this stage all the hard work has been done so it’s time for you to relax. Get plenty of rest, watch a film or go for a walk to get some fresh air. But before you go to bed spend at least 20 minutes alone visualising the perfect performance in the match tomorrow.

START MATCHDAY FEELING FRESH

Start your matchday with an image, picture or statement to reinforce positivity. Say to yourself,  “Today is my day”, “I feel great today”, “Matchday is my favourite day”. If you wake up feeling nervous, ask yourself if you’ve prepared properly. If you have then you’ve done your job; only think about the things you can control.

GET ENERGISED AHEAD OF KICK-OFF

Matchday is about keeping energised. On the way to the game play your favourite music, talk about your team’s strengths with your team-mates and focus on things that have gone well in training. Go over your role and responsibilities in the team to build levels of clarity and certainty.

TUNE YOUR MIND INTO THE GAME

During the warm-up concentrate on the game and preparing your body for 90 minutes. Focus entirely on being the best you can be in every area of the match. This will eliminate the mind’s tendency to wander or become distracted.

GET IN THE ZONE WITH BREATHING

The dressing room is the perfect place to get your head in the zone. Controlling your breathing can help you focus. Try to take slow and deep, or shallow and fast breaths. It might sound bizarre, but think about inhaling strength, speed, positivity and power and exhaling stress. Reaffirm your positive thoughts and responsibilities in the team.

TEAM HUDDLE, IT’S GAME TIME!

Before kick-off pass the ball around with your team-mates and get a feel for the ball. Go around the team shaking hands, high-fiving and generally encouraging. Through giving positivity, reassurance and support you’ll receive more yourself. Have a team huddle just before kick-off: a fantastic way to reaffirm the team’s strength and solidarity.

Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/performance/training/shake-those-pre-game-nerves#aOdizW6ETKj6X6b6.99

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After a winter hiatus and with spring sports just around the corner, many children develop sports performance anxiety. This usually happens before or during a tryout or event, but can possibly occur even after an event. The purpose of this article is to help coaches, trainers, and parents do the following:

Understand what sports performance anxiety is

Identify the symptoms

Understand the reasons it might occur

Aid youth athletes in coping with this anxiety

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Visualisation

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Positive self talk
Negative thought stopping
Rational thinking
Imagery
Visualisation
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)

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. Prepare if possible.A bit obvious. But doing your preparation in time and not at the last minute and doing the preparation well – without trying to do it perfectly – rather than somewhat sloppily make a big difference.You’ll feel more sure of yourself and relaxed about what you are about to do.If you have an important meeting, do your homework so you know what will or may come up in the meeting.If you have a date, perhaps try to think of 2-3 interesting topics/questions to bring up in case the conversational flow hits a stop.If you have a job interview, think about what they may ask you and figure out some good answers.

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. Prepare if possible.A bit obvious. But doing your preparation in time and not at the last minute and doing the preparation well – without trying to do it perfectly – rather than somewhat sloppily make a big difference.You’ll feel more sure of yourself and relaxed about what you are about to do.If you have an important meeting, do your homework so you know what will or may come up in the meeting.If you have a date, perhaps try to think of 2-3 interesting topics/questions to bring up in case the conversational flow hits a stop.If you have a job interview, think about what they may ask you and figure out some good answers.

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• Focus on the task at hand rather than the outcome. In other words stay present in the moment and don’t allow yourself to think too far ahead in the game. Also, if you catch yourself thinking negatively stop yourself and instead focus only on your breathing. If you do this it will bring you back into the present moment.
• Force a smile. If you are struggling with negative thoughts and can’t break out of the cycle, simply force yourself to smile, even if only for a few seconds. This simple action will change your attitude in a split second. Perhaps that is all the time you need to relax back into your performance at hand.
• Play like you don’t care about the outcome. If you find yourself caught up in negative thoughts and find that you suddenly expect the worst it will be impossible to perform at your peak. If you begin to play like you don’t care about the outcome, you may relax and enjoy the event for what it is – another great day of basketball!

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Reduce Performance Anxiety Before the Event

Recognize that pre-race jitters are normal. Accept, rather than fight, the nervous energy you feel. Don't misinterpret it by thinking that it is fear. That adrenaline rush you feel is normal and it is part of your body's natural preparation for the competition. Notice it, but don't focus on it. Once the race starts, that feeling will subside as it always does.

Prepare both mentally and physically. Arrive at the event with plenty of time so you aren't rushed, which only increases your stress. Get a thorough warm-up. Do some easy stretching. Know the course. Dress for conditions.

Visualize. Allow a few minutes to practice visualization. During this time, you mentally rehearse, showing yourself doing everything right. Breathe easy, close your eyes and use mental imagery to visualize yourself performing well. This positive self-talk can change your attitude. While athletes need to be flexible enough to react during the event, you should enter the event with a general strategy of how you want to race. Your strategy can be simple (maintain a steady pace or maintain a steady heart rate) or complex.

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Sports Psychology Tips to Help Reduce Performance AnxietyHere are a few tips that may help change or redirect the negative self-talk.Reduce Performance Anxiety Before the EventRecognize that pre-race jitters are normal. Accept, rather than fight, the nervous energy you feel. Don't misinterpret it by thinking that it is fear. That adrenaline rush you feel is normal and it is part of your body's natural preparation for the competition. Notice it, but don't focus on it. Once the race starts, that feeling will subside as it always does.Prepare both mentally and physically. Arrive at the event with plenty of time so you aren't rushed, which only increases your stress. Get a thorough warm-up. Do some easy stretching. Know the course. Dress for conditions.Visualize. Allow a few minutes to practice visualization. During this time, you mentally rehearse, showing yourself doing everything right. Breathe easy, close your eyes and use mental imagery to visualize yourself performing well. This positive self-talk can change your attitude. While athletes need to be flexible enough to react during the event, you should enter the event with a general strategy of how you want to race. Your strategy can be simple (maintain a steady pace or maintain a steady heart rate) or complex.Reduce Performance Anxiety During the EventFocus on the task at hand rather than the outcome. Stay present in the moment and avoid thinking too far into the event or thinking about the finish.If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or negative self-talk, stop and focus only on your breathing. Focusing on your breathing rhythm will automatically pull you back into the present.Force a smile. Really. If you are struggling with negative thoughts and can't break out of the cycle, simply force yourself to smile, even if only for a few seconds. This simple action will change your attitude in a split second. Perhaps that is all the time you need to relax back into your performance.Race like you don't care about the outcome. If you find yourself caught up in negative thoughts and find that you suddenly expect the worst it will be impossible to perform at your peak. If you begin to race like you don't care about the outcome, you may relax and enjoy the event for what it is - another day in your life. Not the most important thing in your life.Reduce Performance Anxiety After the Event:Review the race and recall the things you did well. Focus on actions, thoughts and behaviors that helped you perform.Acknowledge, but quickly dismiss things that hindered your performance. This is the same principle as avoiding an obstacle while driving - look where you want to go, not where you don't. When you focus on the pothole, you invariably hit it. Focusing on the negative aspects of the event will not help you improve in the future. Rather, you want to focus on the times when you 'got it right.' This is a form of mental rehearsal where you practice skills that will be used in the next event.Design a training program that mimics race-like conditions. Teams and clubs often do such training. If you always train alone, consider joining a group so you can do this type of simulation. Practice is most effective if you can mimic the conditions you will be faced with in competition. Coaches can also help or hinder an athlete's ability to overcome choking during competition. Coaches often inadvertently reinforce a pattern of choking when trying to encourage ("the next shot is critical"). Such talk only increases the pressure an athlete feels to perform.Remember that choking can be dealt with if you are aware of the pattern of negative thoughts that snowball before and during competition. If you find yourself in such a downward spiral, simply acknowledge those thoughts and let them go. Focus on your breathing and play as though you are enjoying it. Chances are you will realize that you are enjoying it despite the occasional less than perfect performance.

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Sports Psychology Tips to Help Reduce Performance AnxietyHere are a few tips that may help change or redirect the negative self-talk.Reduce Performance Anxiety Before the EventRecognize that pre-race jitters are normal. Accept, rather than fight, the nervous energy you feel. Don't misinterpret it by thinking that it is fear. That adrenaline rush you feel is normal and it is part of your body's natural preparation for the competition. Notice it, but don't focus on it. Once the race starts, that feeling will subside as it always does.Prepare both mentally and physically. Arrive at the event with plenty of time so you aren't rushed, which only increases your stress. Get a thorough warm-up. Do some easy stretching. Know the course. Dress for conditions.Visualize. Allow a few minutes to practice visualization. During this time, you mentally rehearse, showing yourself doing everything right. Breathe easy, close your eyes and use mental imagery to visualize yourself performing well. This positive self-talk can change your attitude. While athletes need to be flexible enough to react during the event, you should enter the event with a general strategy of how you want to race. Your strategy can be simple (maintain a steady pace or maintain a steady heart rate) or complex.Reduce Performance Anxiety During the EventFocus on the task at hand rather than the outcome. Stay present in the moment and avoid thinking too far into the event or thinking about the finish.If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or negative self-talk, stop and focus only on your breathing. Focusing on your breathing rhythm will automatically pull you back into the present.Force a smile. Really. If you are struggling with negative thoughts and can't break out of the cycle, simply force yourself to smile, even if only for a few seconds. This simple action will change your attitude in a split second. Perhaps that is all the time you need to relax back into your performance.Race like you don't care about the outcome. If you find yourself caught up in negative thoughts and find that you suddenly expect the worst it will be impossible to perform at your peak. If you begin to race like you don't care about the outcome, you may relax and enjoy the event for what it is - another day in your life. Not the most important thing in your life.Reduce Performance Anxiety After the Event:Review the race and recall the things you did well. Focus on actions, thoughts and behaviors that helped you perform.Acknowledge, but quickly dismiss things that hindered your performance. This is the same principle as avoiding an obstacle while driving - look where you want to go, not where you don't. When you focus on the pothole, you invariably hit it. Focusing on the negative aspects of the event will not help you improve in the future. Rather, you want to focus on the times when you 'got it right.' This is a form of mental rehearsal where you practice skills that will be used in the next event.Design a training program that mimics race-like conditions. Teams and clubs often do such training. If you always train alone, consider joining a group so you can do this type of simulation. Practice is most effective if you can mimic the conditions you will be faced with in competition. Coaches can also help or hinder an athlete's ability to overcome choking during competition. Coaches often inadvertently reinforce a pattern of choking when trying to encourage ("the next shot is critical"). Such talk only increases the pressure an athlete feels to perform.Remember that choking can be dealt with if you are aware of the pattern of negative thoughts that snowball before and during competition. If you find yourself in such a downward spiral, simply acknowledge those thoughts and let them go. Focus on your breathing and play as though you are enjoying it. Chances are you will realize that you are enjoying it despite the occasional less than perfect performance.

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Beating Anxiety in Competition, three awesome approaches -Anxiety Inoculation

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Beating Anxiety in Competition, three awesome approaches -Anxiety Inoculation

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Anxiety inoculation is a three step process:
Education
Relaxation Training
Performance Testing
http://flowathletics.com/beating-anxiety-in-competition/

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Anxiety inoculation is a three step process:
Education
Relaxation Training
Performance Testing

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Many elite athletes use visualization to improve performance, develop confidence, and manage anxiety. Visualization, also known as imagery or mental rehearsal, involves imagining yourself successfully competing at an athletic event.

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-Understand what it is
-Identify the symptoms
-Understand why it occurs
-Aid athletes

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https://www.verywell.com/sports-psychology-for-performance-anxiety-3119436https://www.verywell.com/sports-psychology-for-performance-anxiety-3119436

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaimal-yogis/olympics-fear_b_1744741.html

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Knowing the signs of anxiety
- cold clammy hands
- urinating frequently
- profuse sweating
- negative self-talk
- dazed look in eyes
- increased muscle tension
- butterflies in stomach
- feeling ill
- headache
- dry mouth
- sickness constantly
- difficulty sleeping
- inability to concentrate
- better performance in non - competitive situations

The coaches strategies for coping should be suited to the individual which will help to develop the performers confidence.

The athlete should have a perception of control in order to perform to the best of their ability.
Weinberg and Gould

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https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=CY8SJfKcDdQC&pg=PA132&dq=how+to+handle+nerves+as+an+athlete&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbh66ljtrPAhXC0RoKHepIAbgQ6AEIMDAE#v=onepage&q=how%20to%20handle%20nerves%20as%20an%20athlete&f=false

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·      Athletes are often very visual learners, so a technique that could be helpful for someone dealing with nerves, so visualizing the performance can often be an effective technique. Taking the same amount of time as the event would take, so as to visualize every part of the performance. See the result as you want it to be, whether that is winning a race, or having an improved time. – Article from American Psychological Association

·      Positive self-talk. If when you are competing you are thinking ‘I’m too tired’, ‘I want to stop’, or even the simple doubt of ‘I’m not sure I can do this’ then you are influencing yourself negatively. Try and replace the phrases with positive thoughts. ‘I’ve worked hard for this’, ‘I believe I can do this’, ‘I will keep going’. These can be mental cues that keep athletes relaxed and focus them back in while competing, or even whilst preparing to compete.

Cognitive Therapy and Research (1977) Vol.1 Issue.2 Mahoney and Avener – Psychology of the elite athlete.

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Ways to handle nerves, before, during and after the competition

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Ways to handle nerves, before, during and after the competition

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Before the competition/game, you could:
- visualise you performing well
- accept that pre-competition nerves are normal

During the competition, you can:
- focus on the task rather than the outcome
- play/compete like you don't care about the outcome and are instead playing for fun
- smile, it'll often make you feel better

After the competition:
-  review the event and make a list of things you did well
- acknowledge and review the actions that hindered your performance but then focus on improving and don't let them hinder you in future
- make a training program that is similar to a competition like atmosphere.

This information was found on: https://breakingmuscle.com/family-kids/3-steps-to-nip-youth-performance-anxiety-in-the-bud

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6 ways to handle nerves:1. See them as a sign from your body that you’re ready to compete, it’s the positive ‘ready to go’ adrenaline.2. Even the very best athletes in the world get them before a match. Nerves are telling you that something great is going to happen out there today!3. Have a routine before a match that helps you ‘channel those nerves’ – some athletes use music to help them beat the nerves (Rafa, Azarenka, Kuznetsova).4. Your opponent is probably even more nervous than you, except the difference is that you know how to handle them better (unless they read this article as well!).5. If you didn’t get nervous then what you were doing wouldn’t mean that much or be that special to you.6. When competing, at the start of a match expect them. Give yourself the freedom to make some mistakes at the beginning. When you give yourself this passport, you will be ‘free to play’.

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6 ways to handle nerves:1. See them as a sign from your body that you’re ready to compete, it’s the positive ‘ready to go’ adrenaline.2. Even the very best athletes in the world get them before a match. Nerves are telling you that something great is going to happen out there today!3. Have a routine before a match that helps you ‘channel those nerves’ – some athletes use music to help them beat the nerves (Rafa, Azarenka, Kuznetsova).4. Your opponent is probably even more nervous than you, except the difference is that you know how to handle them better (unless they read this article as well!).5. If you didn’t get nervous then what you were doing wouldn’t mean that much or be that special to you.6. When competing, at the start of a match expect them. Give yourself the freedom to make some mistakes at the beginning. When you give yourself this passport, you will be ‘free to play’.

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•You are working with an athlete, they tell you they are struggling with nerves. They ask for your advise on how they can help themselves…

•Try and find a book chapter/ article that will inform what advice you would give them.

•Share your top tips for an athlete struggling with nerves and show/copy/state where you obtained the information from....post on the padlet below