“I’m so nervous,” Skatergirl says. “I can’t do anything.”
It’s two weeks before her next competition, and Skatergirl is trying to run her long program with Skatercoach. Unfortunately, she’s so nervous that she can’t even get off the ground for her first jump.
Skatercoach has already started her music three times, and each time Skatergirl locks up on the entrance before giving up.
“Look,” Skatercoach says. “The competition isn’t for another two weeks. Why are you so nervous?”
“I don’t know,” Skatergirl says. “If I knew, then I wouldn’t be having this much trouble.”
Before tests. Before competitions. Nerves are a normal part of being an athlete.
But, what causes nerves? Why do we have them in the first place?
Nerves come from your nervous system. They are a sign that your nervous system is working properly.
Let’s put nerves on a continuum of emotions. On the left side is fear and avoidance. On the right side is excitement and anticipation. In the middle is neutral, which is surrounded on either side by degrees of the other emotions.
Most of the time we think of nerves as being negative emotions, but when the nervous system activates it always displays the same physical symptoms. Accelerated heart rate, shallow or quick breathing, butterflies in the stomach, and fidgeting, are the most common.
That being said, these same symptoms can also be attributed to positive emotions like excitement and anticipation.
The nervous system has one job, to keep you safe from physical danger.
You’ve probably heard of Fight, Flight and Freeze. These are reactions that happens when your nervous system senses you are in danger.
From bear attacks to car accidents, your nervous system helps to protect you from physical danger, but physical danger isn’t the only thing that can cause your nervous system to activate.
The nervous system can also be activated by thoughts.
What if I bomb at competition? What if my coach decides to drop me? What if my parents stop paying for skating?
These thoughts will cause your nervous system to sense you’re in danger and cause you to go into Fight, Flight or Freeze.
Nerves are a continuum. They can be negative or positive emotions. Whether they positive or negative, depends on how we interpret them.
The nervous system can be activated into action by thoughts as well as physical danger. So, the key to handling nerves is to handle your thoughts. That’s where mental game comes in.
Did you know? Mental skills are trained exactly like technical skills (jumps, spins, and lifts). In fact, athletes can learn and practice their mental skills every time they step onto the ice.
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