The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
Available through most online retailers!
CURING PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
Overcoming performance anxiety is a very common developmental issue. As you have probably witnessed, this component is most often ignored by intermediate players and coaches. If physical or emotional danger is perceived, the fear pathways short circuit rational processing and basic motor programming is lost. Meaning even if perfect form is seen on the practice court, stress can often de-rail it.
So how can parents and coaches spot performance anxiety?
Many parents report that their athlete’s extreme competitive anxieties are masked with pre-match physical illnesses, fake injuries and/or preset excuses before each important match. Yet their player avoids any talk of solutions to remedy their anxiety issues.
“Even on the playground, young children who fear competition fake an injury as an easy way out.”
Intermediate competitors often choose to avoid these topics, which is the worst thing they can do. Avoidance only magnifies their anxiety and keeps competition scary and uncomfortable. This growing fear fuels the player’s lingering self-doubt. Fear of confrontation is extremely typical in the world of junior tennis. Conquering that fear is actually quite simple.
“The best way to alleviate performance anxieties is through exposure not avoidance.”
Psychologists report that the central nervous system decreases its arousal state with extended exposure to the same stimuli. In other words, if ones nervous system is exposed to the same arousal stimuli… the feelings of excessive performance anxiety are reduced. It is worth noting that every athlete experiences some degree of anxiety and nervousness in the competitive arena, but excessive uncontrollable anxiety destroys athletic performance. To ease a player’s fear of competition, the player needs to devise protocols that will deflate their arousal state during competition. By dodging and evading their fears, the player is actually increasing their anxieties. Every time a player side steps their issues, the thoughts of possible failure multiply into an unreasonable lack of confidence and self-esteem, which is later magnified during competition. Apprehension to compete will actually increase until the player agrees to stop avoiding their fears.
“The familiar becomes commonplace, both positive and negative. This is human nature.”
If extreme performance anxieties exist, protocols to implement before important competition may include:
- Arrive at the tournament site days early to get comfortable in the environment.
- Drill and play practice sets with other competitors on site to get comfortable in the environment.
- Meet, mingle and hit with as many “new” people as possible to get comfortable with varying ball speeds and trajectories.
- Stay on-site and profile the top seeds after your match is complete to take the mystique out of the top seeds.
- Ask your athlete to chart the competitor’s cause of errors. Documenting opponent’s cause of errors will prove to your “stressed out” player that their opponents are beatable.
Plan on networking, mix and mingle with other teaching pros, parents and players. Why?
- Finding better quality doubles partners.
- Getting acquainted with higher level coaches.
- Discovering new academies, programs or tournaments.
- Meeting the current crop of USTA coaches- which hold the wild card power.
- Increase personal communication skills- essential life lessons.
“Avoiding competition magnifies ignorance and multiplies fear, nervousness, uncertainty, distress and disorganization.
Although confronting performance anxieties is difficult, it’s the exposure to these fears that brings empowerment and reduces
performance anxiety.”
