Athletes are obviously no strangers to pressure. Without pressure, there would be no sports and performance activities. But, even in this world, there are a number of occasions when the pressure can exert itself stronger than the stress of answering the “we need to talk” text from your partner.
Still, there are players who frequently eat this pressure for breakfast all the time, leaving no crumbs. In situations when all the odds are against this athlete, they somehow manage to perform even better than other homeostatic situations. If you are an athlete, I’m sure you’ve come across players like these and are often left in awe of their performance. Perhaps, you might have even asked yourself, “Why can’t I be more like them?”
If you’re wondering why some athletes thrive under pressure, while others crumble under it, there are certain commonalities in this group of elites that you need to be aware of. Imbibing these very attitudes will most definitely help you become an even better athlete than you already are.
Athletes who do well under pressure against all odds are known to:
- Trust Their Training: It does not stop with their training, but also extends to trusting their coaches, their nutritionist, their psychologist and even their support group. These players trust that they’ve trained hard enough and smart enough to face any obstacle which may come their way.
- Focus On The Next Step: Rather than thinking about the results of the game, these athletes tend to focus on the next moment and the next step. This means that they have more energy to use for playing, rather than worrying about what happens at the end of the game.
- Manage Their Emotions Better: Regulating their emotions means that these athletes can return to their basic mental state even when they face tremendous pressure. It is not that these players are that stone-hearted to face any emotions. They simply know how to be aware of their emotions and how to manage them.
- Easily Recover From Blunders: These players make mistakes just like anyone else. But, unlike everyone else, they are able to look past their mistakes and focus on the next thing that they need to do.
- Have A Solid Pre–Competition Routine: Pre-competition routines are a must for any intelligent and aspiring elite athlete. With such a routine, athletes can have more familiarity during stressful times. Such routines can include a number of tools, including breathing exercises, visualization, goal-setting and even aromatherapy.
Although athletes who take pressure as a challenge and thrive are seen as a rare breed and exceptional players, anyone can become one. It all depends on your preparation – physically, mentally and strategically, that will help you reach this pinnacle of performance.
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