Skill Building – Part III

by CJ Lockman Hall, M. A.

In previous issues of "The Swimmer’s Ear," you learned about the first six of "The Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes," a model developed by Dr. Jack Lesyk, director of the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology. This article covers the seventh skill: dealing with anxiety.

Anxiety is a natural part of sport. Consider how Olympic hopefuls feel: years of preparation culminate in one or two swims at the Olympic Trials. Although few swimmers ever compete at the Olympic Trials, thinking about your own races can trigger Olympic-sized anxiety!

A little anxiety is good. Studies show that athletes who think anxiety helps their performance tend to be more successful than those who consider anxiety to be a negative factor. Successful athletes say that feeling some anxiety tells them that their minds and bodies are preparing for an important performance. Too much anxiety, however, can lead to tense muscles, fatigue, distraction, or worry.

The model points out that most anxiety comes from worrying about the "what ifs" that might happen before or during competition. Use the following three tips from the model to help manage–or even welcome–anxiety:

  1. Positive imagery – Olympian Megan Quann said she pictured herself repeatedly swimming her goal time. She didn’t quite make it, but winning a gold medal wasn’t a bad consolation prize! She said that she knew she could win, partly because she had "seen" herself successful so many times. Take a cue from Megan and rehearse what you want to happen. Picture how good you will feel when you arrive at the meet, run through your well-practiced game plan, and get pumped up by the feelings of success from a well-swum race.
  2. Relaxation – If you feel overly anxious at a meet, take a break. Leave the pool deck and find a place to relax. Close your eyes, review your good training and your game plan, and remind yourself how thrilling it is to put your training into action.
  3. Develop a routine – A routine provides a sense of control, helps to keep you focused, and gives you that valuable feeling of being prepared. Your routine can include eating foods that you know make you feel good, knowing what types of warm up work for you, filling your mind with positive thoughts, and whatever else you have found contributes to doing your best. A comforting thought is that a good performance is rarely perfect, so don’t worry if things don’t go exactly as planned.

In upcoming issues, you can learn about concentration and dealing with emotions, the final two skills in the model.

CJ Hall swims with the Montgomery Ancient Mariners and writes and consults on sport performance. micandcj@erols. com

Source: The Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes ©1998 Ohio Center for Sport Psychology

 

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