Dealing With Match Anxiety (Part 2)
What is it that keeps us from performing the same way we do in practice as we do in a match or a tournament? What is it that keeps us from getting a good night’s sleep or being able to eat well the day before competition? It is match anxiety. Match anxiety causes us to be so nervous in the days, hours, and moments leading up to competition that we are unable to perform at the level of which we are capable. It is vital that we rearrange our thought patterns to prevent making competition into something to be feared or neglected. In the first set of steps to dealing with match anxiety, we discussed certain tips such as locating the source of stress, avoiding fanfare, and focusing on the aspects of the sport that you love. Here are some further measures to reduce match anxiety:
- Treat Everything as Competition
Athletes have a tendency to separate practice and scrimmages from matches and tournaments. This is a pattern that needs to be broken. You need to treat every time that you play tennis as the same. It is a competition. It does not matter if you are competing in practice, at neighborhood courts, or in the state finals. You have to view every time that you compete in tennis as the same. This will prevent you from making a match or tournament into a monster or setting it up on a pedestal.
- Control Your Variables
There are certain elements to a tennis match that you are unable to control. You cannot control the line judges, the fans, your teammates, or your coaches. However, you have to be on top of the variables that you control. These variables include aspects such as getting enough sleep, eating right, working your hardest in practice and in the off season, and getting a good warm-up. When you control these variables you know that you will be ready to compete when the time comes.
- Focus on Performance
A huge source of anxiety is feeling the need to win. You cannot choose whether you win or lose. You can choose how you perform. Focus on performing to the best of your ability and not winning or losing.
**For more tips on how to reduce anxiety and to mentally prepare yourself to compete at the peak of your potential, set up a session with a mindset coach today!