Do You Thrive On Pressure?
Would you consider yourself a “nervous athlete” or a “gamer” in competition?
Gamers tend to raise their performance in critical games and moments–they thrive on the pressure.
However, nervous athlete tend to get lost in critical moments.
Has this happened to you? The game is in its final minutes and your team depends on you for the victory…
You start to think, “If I mess up, everyone will be mad at me.” Your heart is pounding and you are sweating profusely…
You are so afraid to mess up that your anxiety skyrockets.
All athletes face critical moments during competitions.
Why do some athletes rise to the occasion while other athletes fall apart under pressure?
It all boils down to what you think about the game situation. Do you view pressure as a threatening situation or do you see it as a challenge?
How you perceive an event will affect how you approach the situation which, ultimately, affects your performance.
In 1994, Diane L. Gill published a profound research article on competitive stress which remains relevant for today’s athlete, “A sport and exercise psychology perspective on stress” (Quest, 46, 20-27).
Gill explored the stress process and individual responses to stress experienced by athletes during competition.
Gill stated stress is not an event but an individual’s perceptions and thoughts regarding the event. Stress is what you think it is.
Stress isn’t being behind in a game, playing against a higher-ranked opponent, being in a slump or the game being on the line in the closing minutes of a contest.
The process unfolds as follows:
- A big moment or stressor (tied game with a minute remaining, playoff game, heat, fatigue)
- What you think about the moment (fear of failing)
- How you respond (anxiety)
Gill stated without the perception “I think I’m stressed,” there is no stressor. It is your perception of the event (perceived threat) that elicits the stress response.
You could perceive the situation negatively, for example, afraid that you will disappoint your coach, be benched, suffer the ridicule of teammates or view yourself as not good enough.
Your response to an event does not need to be negative.
You could respond to a critical moment during a game in a positive manner (excited, hopeful).
Stress and coping with stress are individual processes.
By understanding how you respond during certain moment, you will be one step closer to choosing a better response.
Try these to play your best during critical moments of competition:
- Tip #1: Develop a strategy to change your thoughts during critical moments during a competition. What are the thoughts that pop up in your mind as you face these situations? Is there a different way to perceive these situations? How can you apply a different thought process during competition? Can you see it as a challenge to embrace?
- Tip #2: Develop a strategy to manage your body’s reaction to stress. Use something that you feel comfortable with and can reduce your anxiety during competitions (deep breathing, pregame music, relaxation, imagery, etc.).
Successful athletes have learned to stop performance anxiety and play with ultimate composure.
We’ve created The Composed Athlete Workbook and CD program to help you do this.
Boost Your Self-Confidence With Mental Game Coaching!
Master mental game coach, Dr. Patrick Cohn, can help you or your athlete(s), ages 12 and up, overcome mental game issues with personal coaching.
You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our students saying?
“WOW!!! What a week I had. I was able to perform with a confidence that allowed my style to shine through–no more entering the arena with that “deer in the headlights” look or feeling. I stopped evaluating myself while I was performing, and I actually left the arena after my patterns feeling like I had experienced a lot of fun. Thank you so much.”
~Julia Dreyer, National Champion Equestrian
For All Athletes – Learn Confidence-Boosting Techniques!
D you have a negative self-image of yourself as an athlete that stifles confidence?
No matter ow positive you try to be, are you unable to shake the doubt that rushes into your head when you size up your competition?
Have you labeled yourself as a loser, poor closer, or mediocre athlete and these labels keep you stuck in a rut of self-pity and indecision?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, check out The Confident Athlete!
The Confident Athlete CD and workbook program is a 14-day plan for ultimate self-confidence. This program is ideal for any athlete or coach that wants to discover proven confidence-boosting techniques guaranteed to drastically build self-confidence and improve sports performance.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Athlete Series…
The Confident Athlete: A 14-Day Plan For Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of the products in The Confident Athlete Series!
What are customers saying?
“I first purchased The Confident Athlete to see how the program went and immediately saw results. I then purchased the rest of the confident athlete series and have noticed a dramatic improvement in my level of play or should I say consistency. I currently play NCAA Division 1 baseball for Lamar University, and even my coaches have noticed a change in the way that I approach the game. My attitude and confidence at the plate.”
~Tylor Prudhomme (Listen to his success story)
“I am a ASP world qualifying professional surfer and after beginning the ‘The Confident Athlete’ I had an almost instant change in attitude about my own surfing ability and my mindset going into competition. By using the Confident Athlete strategies, my confidence has done a complete 180 degrees. I won a local pro/am a few weeks back, and just had my best result of the year in one the last big events on the world circuit this last week in Brazil! It is my secret weapon!”
~Shaun Burrell, Professional Surfer (Listen to his success story)
For Young Athletes and Parents – Learn More About How to Help Kids Improve Confidence Quickly!
We’ve got a great program for you called “The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence.”
The Confident Sports Kid is a 7-day program for sports parents and kids to boost young athlete’s performance, happiness and success… in sports and life!
The Confident Sports Kid is two programs in one. There’s a manual and CD for parents/coaches, and a workbook/CD for young athletes.
Packed with mental strategies that you and your kids can start using immediately, this program teaches your athletes how to identify confidence busters, proactively deal with them, manage expectations that undermine confidence, and mentally prepare to stay confident when faced with adversity.
What’s more, our program teaches you, as sports parents and coaches, how you may be hurting your kids’ confidence and gives you instructions for changing your behavior in ways that will improve your athletes’ performance, confidence and enjoyment.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Sports Kid Series…
The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of our products in The Confident Sports Kid Series!
What are parents and coaches saying about our program?
“I appreciate the advice to parents as to how to help your child become more mentally resilient to bullying in sports. The specific advice and scenarios are extremely helpful for any child on a team and very helpful in guiding parents, coaches and administrators in how to deal with bullying in sports. I cannot thank you enough for your input, and I am so reassured to know that there are people like you who are writing articles and doing interviews on such timely and important matters.”
~Julie Goot
“Dr. Patrick Cohn and Lisa Cohn are to be congratulated! Together, they offer a wealth of knowledge, information, and practical mental tools for sports parents on the substantial “mental game” challenges and pressures facing today’s young athletes.”
~Marc D. Anderson, LCSW, MGCP, Mental Game Coach
For Mental Coaches – Add More Value To Your Mental Training Programs!
This workbook series was designed for coaches and mental coaches to use with their athletes.
The Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks complement your existing mental training program. Each of the 15 workbooks in the Athlete’s Mental Edge System teaches your athletes a specific mental skill to improve their performance.
For mental coaches, this system is ideal for between session education.
For sports coaches, you’ll be able to conduct 15 team seminars using the workbook system.
In the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbook system, you receive 15 easy-to-read, practical Mental Edge Workbooks on PDF, as well as 16 coaches’ game plan MP3 audio files.
Athlete’s Mental Edge Workbook System
What are coaches saying?
“I am really pleased with the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks – they are fitting in really well with my coaching! I find they offer a great framework for doing workshop sessions. I have also used the workbooks with a few individual athletes – for the younger ones (12 and under). They are giving a good structure and framework to our sessions. The workbooks have worked well with all of them!”
~Kerri Morgan, Mental Game Coach
“I am impressed with the willingness and openness of Dr. Cohn to share all of his assets (intellectual, products, etc.) with the MGCP students. You have developed an incredible model/package for mental training. Even though we are paying for your service, you are passing on a legacy built on your contribution to the world of sports. Thank you for that.”
~Tony Melito, MGCP