4 Things
You Must
Do to
Conquer
Pre-Game
Jitters
|
|
Pre-game
jitters are
a very common,
expected aspect of
competing, and all
athletes experience
them to varying
degrees. They are a
manifestation of
processes occurring
in the body which
prepare it for
action --
the “fight or
flight” response.
The sympathetic
nervous system (SNS)
is the part of the
body responsible for
the symptoms that an
athlete experiences,
and epinephrine
(“adrenalin”) is one
of several hormones
released into the
bloodstream. The
goal of this nervous
system activation is
to help the body
achieve peak
performance and is a
survival mechanism.
Some of the
specifics of the SNS
response include
improved
reflexes, enhanced
memory, regulation
of blood flow, and a
switch to a
catabolic state.
The downside of SNS
activation is that
it causes a series
of annoying
symptoms. Diarrhea,
intestinal cramping,
tremors (“shakes”),
sweating,
palpitations,
nervousness and
irritability are
some of the
distractions that an
athlete may face.
Sometimes these
symptoms may become
so great that they
go beyond the
nuisance stage and
performance suffers.
Thus, since SNS
activation is
important to play
well, but too much
causes a decrease in
performance,
the goal is to reach
a middle ground.
This will maximize
performance, but
keep the adverse
symptoms to a
minimum. There are
mechanisms athletes
can use to regulate
their degree of SNS
activation -- as
well as some things
to avoid -- and
these are vital to
achieving
consistent, high
performance.
Here's 4
things you must do
to conquer your
pre-game jitters:
1.
Establish a
routine.
The game day routine
starts when you wake
up, and ends when
the game starts. You
should determine how
many hours before
the game you need to
get up to accomplish
all of the steps in
your routine. A few
of the components in
the routine are
calorie intake,
fluids, travel time
to race location,
warm-up, stretching,
equipment check,
mental exercises,
etc.... Some
components will vary
depending upon the
type of sport, but
the basic framework
will remain
constant. Every time
you play it is
different, but
developing a
consistent routine
will provide a
familiar base from
which to launch your
routine. It will
also give you
confidence that you
know you are ready
to play.
2. Mental
exercises.
You will often see
top athletes close
their eyes and
engage in seemingly
strange behavior,
appearing either
catatonic or moving
to some unseen
rhythm. The latter
is especially
evident in downhill
skiers who sway and
gyrate. They are
rehearsing all the
elements required in
the race. This
mental imagery helps
you focus and plan
each stage of your
game. This takes the
over-energized
concept of “GO FAST,
WIN”, and changes it
into a series of
steps, calmly
planned and
executed. Sometimes
music (via
headphones) is
useful but it must
not be distracting
nor result in the
wrong mood.
3. Breathing
exercises and
progressive muscular
relaxation
are other techniques
that can alter your
level of SNS
activation and
reduce unwanted
muscular tension.
4. Monitor
your body.
Look for, and pay
attention to, the
signals your body
provides. This will
give you feedback as
to the state of your
SNS. Pulse rate,
respiration rate,
sweat rate, tremor
and other clues give
you a way to see
where you are, and
how effective your
modulating
techniques are.
Once your pre-game
routine ensures your
body will not hinder
itself, you can
perform at your best
and let your
abilities do the
talking.