Tournaments and matches can provide an extremely stressful environment. If not handled properly, tournament and match anxiety can seriously inhibit your ability to perform. You put too much hard work and training into perfecting your game simply to be held back by nerves and anxiety. Here are five steps that you can take to prevent from being held back by match and tournament stress:
1. Identify The Source of The Stress: It is hard to solve a problem if you don’t know what is causing the problem. At a match or tournament, there can be any number of stressors. Maybe your parents stress you out by constantly telling you how big the upcoming tournaments are going to be for you. Or, perhaps you have a teammate that is constantly telling you how hard it will be to beat the other team. The source may even be internal. For example, you could be putting too much pressure on yourself to win. Whatever the source of the anxiety is, it is important to identify the problem so that the problem can be fixed.
2. Remove the Source if Possible: If the source of your anxiety is something external, then it is possible that you can simply create distance between yourself and whatever is causing your nerves. For example, if your teammates are causing you to be anxious by telling you about the other team, the other players, a certain person’s ranking, or anything else that is going to prevent you from performing your best, then it would be best to ask your teammates to change the subject or possibly even go off on your own and prepare to compete.
3. Avoid All Fanfare There is a lot going on at matches and tournaments that are meant for the fans. There are rankings, records, brackets, and any number of things that are there to make the event more exciting for fans. Let that stuff be for them. You are there to compete, and all you have to focus on is competing. If you are at a tournament, try to get out of the venue periodically if at all possible. Try not to watch too much tennis if you can. Worrying about rankings, records, and any other element of fanfare is only going to serve to distract you from doing what you need to do and potentially increase anxiety.
4. Remember Why You Play Tennis Focusing on what you love about the sport of tennis is a great way to reduce the anxiety you feel when competing. You could have chosen any sport or hobby, but you chose to play tennis. Whatever encouraged you to make that decision is what needs to be the primary area of focus. Whatever is causing you stress or anxiety cannot prevent you from competing and enjoying what you love about the sport. Take joy in the ability to compete, and whatever is causing you anxiety will not matter as much.
5. Get a Good Warm-up Remember all of the elements of a good warm-up that you have gone through in your mindset training. Each element of a good warm-up will not only allow you to be physically prepared, but will help you to narrow your focus to the task at hand. When you are focused on competing, you will be distracted from whatever stressors you may have.
2. Remove the Source if Possible: If the source of your anxiety is something external, then it is possible that you can simply create distance between yourself and whatever is causing your nerves. For example, if your teammates are causing you to be anxious by telling you about the other team, the other players, a certain person’s ranking, or anything else that is going to prevent you from performing your best, then it would be best to ask your teammates to change the subject or possibly even go off on your own and prepare to compete.
3. Avoid All Fanfare There is a lot going on at matches and tournaments that are meant for the fans. There are rankings, records, brackets, and any number of things that are there to make the event more exciting for fans. Let that stuff be for them. You are there to compete, and all you have to focus on is competing. If you are at a tournament, try to get out of the venue periodically if at all possible. Try not to watch too much tennis if you can. Worrying about rankings, records, and any other element of fanfare is only going to serve to distract you from doing what you need to do and potentially increase anxiety.
4. Remember Why You Play Tennis Focusing on what you love about the sport of tennis is a great way to reduce the anxiety you feel when competing. You could have chosen any sport or hobby, but you chose to play tennis. Whatever encouraged you to make that decision is what needs to be the primary area of focus. Whatever is causing you stress or anxiety cannot prevent you from competing and enjoying what you love about the sport. Take joy in the ability to compete, and whatever is causing you anxiety will not matter as much.
5. Get a Good Warm-up Remember all of the elements of a good warm-up that you have gone through in your mindset training. Each element of a good warm-up will not only allow you to be physically prepared, but will help you to narrow your focus to the task at hand. When you are focused on competing, you will be distracted from whatever stressors you may have.