The answer: Trepidation - a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation.
It comes from the Latin verb trepidare which means to tremble.
I often see this in the eyes of my athletes when they are viewing an event or a moment with greater significance than perhaps they ought to.
This is only natural due to the accumulation of practice that has brought us to this present moment.
Being with my athletes to absorb their fear by changing the mood and keeping it light is what I like to do most but that’s not always possible if they are traveling or we are apart.
So how does one diffuse this feeling and just have a Ava go :-) ? 🥑
Focus on 3 things only:
1. Preparation - you can’t build a house on sand.
If you haven’t laid the foundation then expect your performance to collapse, if you have completed the work then relax, we have something to build from.
Each performance adds a layer of performance experience. This equates to skill you can not get in practice. So you are a better athlete just from taking part, regardless of the result.
Now remember some events are NOT scheduled as “a priority” and coach will have told you this prior, so treat it as such! Shrug your shoulders and if today is just another training day in the office then enjoy it. If it’s a win great, if not. Next.
2. Who are you? Did you forget? Do you need to go look in the mirror and see the athlete who has brought you to this moment. Acknowledge that great human inside of that physical body.
Your body is not dipping out on you so why is your mind having second thoughts ? You are team. Trust yourself. Back yourself. The body and mind work together in unison let both stay focused on executing the skills you practiced. The end product will be the result of teamwork between the two.
3. This is suppose to be fun! Fear is for scary movies and creepy dark alleys not for sporting events in the middle of the day.
That tremble you feel (we all feel it fyi) is a good feeling! It’s your engine revving. You are ready to race! You are ready to play! You are ready to compete!
We have one life. It’s short and the life of an athlete is even shorter. Don’t waste moments be fearful. Enjoy every opportunity and have a go or you will look back on your sporting career with regret wishing you did.
Coach B
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