“I’m so close to qualifying,” Skatergirl says. “I’m less than a tenth of a point away from 24th place.”
“That’s awesome,” Mentalgamecoach says.
“Assuming everyone else scores about the same, I just have to score one point higher at my next competition and I’m in,” Skatergirl says.
“Okay,” Mentalgamecoach says. “What do you have to do to get that one point?”
“Well,” Skatergirl says, “I made a lot of mistakes at my last competition, so if I don’t make as many at this one I’ll probably have enough points. Theoretically, if I can skate two clean programs, I have enough content to score in the top ten.
“So, you need to skate two clean programs in order to qualify?”
“Yes.”
“What will give you the best chance to do that?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Let me ask you this. What do you do when you’re worried about the results?”
“I shift my focus to something I can control.”
“Exactly. And, why do you shift your focus?”
“Because, when I’m focusing on results I get more tense which makes me perform worse.”
“In order to give yourself the best chance to skate well, you have to forget about the scores and focus on the things you can control. Think about it. You’ve already trained yourself to skate your best during practice, so focusing on the scores won’t make you skate any better. In fact, focusing on the scores will make you skate worse.”
“Really?”
“Well, think about it this way. Which is easier, skating your best with the pressure of getting a good score or going out and skating your own skate?”
“Skating my own skate.”
“Right. Even though it might seem counter intuitive, to give yourself the best chance of getting a good score you need to focus on the things you can control instead of the results.”
Mentalgamecoach’s Tips
When you get to the competition, it’s important that you forget about the results. In an age where everyone can see where they stand on the leaderboard at any given moment, this becomes even more important.
When you’re at competition, the leaderboard is a distraction. You don’t have any control over it, which makes it irrelevant to what you have to do.
Remember, you don’t have any control over the scores. The only thing you can control is your current action.
When you focus on the results, you place additional pressure on yourself. This pressure can make it more difficult for you to perform your best.
This added pressure doesn’t only come from the leaderboard. The comments that parents and coaches make also contribute to this problem. For example, a parent might say, “You’re only X points behind Suzyskater,” or a coach might say, “You can win if you just skate a clean program.” This might be an accidental slip of the tongue or it might be a misguided attempt at “psyching you up,” but regardless it can place added pressure on you to perform well.
If you can, talk to your parents or coaches about their comments and the pressure it places on you. Ask them to refrain from talking about results or their expectations (e.g. “you’re so close to getting on the podium” or “you’re only two points off of second place”) when you’re at competition.
If you can’t do that, remember these comments are distractions. The best thing you can do whenever someone mentions the results is refocus yourself on what you are doing right now.
Just like Skatergirl, mental skills training can make a difference for you. You can learn to skate more consistently during competition and from one day to the next in practice.
Why wait? Start now: Download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook and make a change.