Preparing athletes for pressure is a form of preventative medicine. I will soon be releasing Preparing for Pressure. This book came to light organically. It began as a Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) Tennis Pro Magazine instructional article and quickly ballooned into a full-blown book.
The purpose of Preparing for Pressure is to provide solutions to assist those athletes that are able to thrive on the practice court only to wilt under game-day pressure. Many athletes have the will to compete but they often fail to find the will to prepare. I’ve found that performing well under pressure begins with preparing the athlete’s software for the heaviness of competition.
The US Navy Seal’s motto best describes insight into the solution to performing under pressure:
“We don’t rise to the occasion…we sink to the level of our training.”
The often debilitating scenario athlete’s face during competition is remedied with deliberate mental and emotional training. Very few athletes are born competitive tennis experts. Performing their best when they need it the most is nurtured.
What is Competitive Pressure?
“Competitive pressure is the lousy partner of great opportunity.”
Pressure is created in the minds of our athletes and/or their sphere of influence. Managing pressure starts by spotting the cause. In amateur sports, the pressure is either self-imposed or nurtured by unaware parents or coaches. Pressure manifests when we imagine what might happen if we don’t achieve the outcome we desire or what others expect.
The following scenario depicts an athlete failing to train in the manner he is expected to perform.
Brian’s frustration begins like clockwork each tournament match. This solid athlete can’t understand why he’s not able to duplicate his practice level in tournament competition. Friday on the practice court, Brian grooves his fundamental groundstrokes for hours.
Essentially playing “catch” back and forth. In this setting, Brian thinks: “Tennis is easy! Forget juniors…Man, I’m going pro!”
Fast forward to Saturday morning. Brian’s internal and external stressors ramp up because the practice court environment of catch is nowhere to be found. The friendly face on the other side of the net is now replaced by an intimidating, confrontational warrior whose hell bent on torturing poor Brian.
Come game day, that cozy, cooperative game of “catch” turns into a violent struggle of “keep away”. Brian would be wise to practice in the manner he’s truly expected to perform.
Preparing for pressure # 1 rule: Practice in the manner you’re expected to perform
What Causes Pressure in Competition?
“Performance anxiety is the habit of worrying.”
Pressure begins with the arrival of the athlete’s inner critic. That little “Devil on their shoulder” appears like clockwork when the match doesn’t go as planned.
Some athletes stress about every minute detail while others confront setbacks in warrior mode. Because no two athletes are exactly alike, preparing for pressure begins with an assessment of the athlete’s and their entourage’s stress level as it pertains to the reality of tournament competition.
Competitive Pressure Triggers Include:
- The Games Scoring System
- The Opponents Style Of Tactical Play
- Gamesmanship
- The Draw/Seeding
- Spectators
- The Environment/Conditions
- The Court Surface
- Current Fitness/Energy Levels
- Untrustworthy Strokes
- Outcome Anxieties
I’ve found that taking an inventory and talking through their tennis stressors is a great start to overcoming issues and developing confident solutions.
Every athlete feels pressure; it is how they’ve been nurtured to deal with it that counts.
Preparing athletes for pressure is a form of preventative medicine. It inoculates athletes with solutions for common performance anxieties. The solutions vaccinate the athlete, coaches, and parents against the onslaught of emotional toxins found in competition.
