It has happened to every athlete in every sport at some point, at the exact moment when they most need to perform at their very BEST, they don't. You see the softball player strike out, the basketball player miss the free throw, or the drag racer cut a bad light in the final. Call it fear, call it choking, call it over-thinking, call it not being able to handle the pressure, it doesn't matter what you call it, athletes don't want to do it!
This semester I am teaching a sport psychology class at McKendree University and I asked them what they MOST wanted to learn about in the class. The most common answer included this exact issue of dealing with pressure, staying calm, not choking, staying consistent, dealing with stress in a big game, and how to keep your composure during an intense moment.
This issue is complex, but I wanted to provide a few useful strategies to help:
1.) This is the MOST important. Practice hard! You will practice like you play. Take your practices very seriously. Try to make each moment of practice count. If you are a bowler, try to tell your brain that each time you bowl it is for the national finals and the win and you have to make it.
2.) When you perform, learn from your mistakes, be very calm and realistic about what you can fix. But try to fill your head with images of you succeeding and performing well under pressure.
3.) Rephrase your stress or anxiety. Instead of thinking, "I am nervous!" or "This is the BIG game" or "I hope I don't choke now!," think "I am excited and ready, bring it!" or "This is just another shot, I have done this a million times!" or "I love this stuff, this is why I have worked so hard to get to an opportunity like this!" Changing the way you phrase it helps your brain believe you can do it.
4.) If you ask MOST athletes or even fans why they LOVE sports, it is because of the competition and the intense moments. So when your brain starts to think, "Oh no, I am so stressed I am afraid I will choke, Yikes!" ask your brain very calmly..."OK, do you want to quit all of this and spend time planting tulips? We could do that and there isn't any chance of stress planting flowers." Most athletes just laugh, they would never want to really give up the intensity of their sport, so just own it...you love your sport. And when you love your sport it means all of it--the hard work, the sacrifice, winning, losing, and the intensity of the competition.
5.) Finally have a good pre-performance routine that includes BREATHING. The best way to calm down and perform is with a routine and a deep breath!
