Handling pressure in high level sports competition |12 February 2022
What is pressure?
It is a psychological stressor that refers to the feeling of the upcoming competition.
Intrinsic/internal created by the athlete with thought such as:
- I must play well
‒ l must run well
‒ A long race i have to win.
Extrinsic/external factors
Media or coaches placing added importance on the competition.
Don't wait until you arrive at the competition, you require mental training ahead of time. Ensure mental training are included in your training sessions.
Start by anticipating what you might feel during the competition. What are the emotions you might have? What are the challenges you can anticipate?
Next how will you cope with these challenges and emotions? For example if you have to compete in extreme cold or hot conditions. How are you going to cope?
A prepared mind will help you manage pressure and perform at your peak.
A fearless athlete’s mental programme will help him/her overcome fear to perform with great trust in his/her skills. Learn how to overcome the mental blockage of perfectionism and fear of failure, leading you to perform with trust in your skills.
Managing pressure in high level competition.
When you view a major competition as the most important of the season you will often feel more pressure, fear the possibility of failure, and experience a heightened level of anxiety. Fear and anxiety are major contributors to mental blockage.
Think of it as the following equation: Fear of failure + increased pressure = anxiety + chocking.
So how can you perform better by changing your perspective about pressure or the importance of a competition?
This tournament is just another competition or game. I have been competing in this sports for years. I am well trained and prepared.
A little pressure will help to give a boost of energy and improve your focus.
The competition has not changes but your perspective about the competition has.
A shift in perspective changes your thoughts, and emotions and fuel performance.
You can convert pressure into positive energy, enthusiasm, or excitement during high level competitions.
Good and bad pressure: Is pressure good or bad? Your answer determines how likely you are to be affected by high pressure situations.
If you perceive pressure as negative you will associate it with negative thought process such as self-doubt.
However if you perceive pressure as a positive feeling, it will improve your performance.
The key is to reframe pressure to make it seems positive.
Safety precaution: Athletes who have stress and anxiety over long period of time may experience negative related health outcome. They are more likely to develop heart disease and high blood pressure. Athletic trainers need to be sure that they help their athletes to utilise counselling centres, to visit medical practitioners and other techniques to help limit their stress and anxiety.
Maurice Denys
Certified Mental Coach
S.N.S.H. Dip.(Sports Psychology)