The previous entry explored the idea an athletes performance benefits when they are able to recognize and switch out of negative feedback loops. "Athlete" in this blog entry will refer to any player age 12 and older participating in competitive sports at any skill level.
Some clues that an athlete is caught in a reoccurring negative loop can be observed in attitude, body language, emotional state and internal mental dialogue to name a few.
When positive emotion and behavior are left on the sidelines it often affects a players ability to perform at an optimal level. All athletes encounter times of doubt, worry, anxiety, nervousness, disappointment, anger etc. Successful athletes are those that have an awareness and the tools to flip their attention and mental focus when they discover themselves falling into the negativity loop. Negative symptoms and pitfalls can occur during practices, and/or competition.
The following "I" Exam is a nonclinical, playful self-guide to assess whether a player has and utilizes the tools to effectively problem solve and adapt to challenging situations by shifting negative mental energy and actions to positive thoughts, feelings and stategies. The examples in this guide have been gathered over the years as common complaints and situations of tennis players. But it can be generalized to other sports.
All performers encounter situations where nothing is going as planned. The following are two sample catagories. The first catagory frequently ends up becoming an emotional "drop-off" where the player reports an inability to bring their "A" game into play. Lingering focus on these negative distractions often become an obstacle to ongoing learning, and block effective problem solving energies that are necessary to meet unexpected challenges that are part of engaging in competition at any level. The first catagory is "Energy Drain."
The second catagory "Energy Builder" relates to the player who recognizes challenges and makes a shift to a positive response(flipping the switch). Think back to the last high pressure competitive situation you faced and your responses.
(Catagory-1) CHEATERS AND OTHER DISTRACTIONS
a)_______Competing against an opponent known for dishonest and close line calls. Your mental dialogue fails you. "I can't compete against cheaters. Everytime I hit near a line he/she calls the ball out. I feel tense and afraid to hit my shots. I can't win against cheaters.
b)______ I hate playing moonballers, soft hitters etc. I am a big hitter and I play my best when I play big hitters like myself. I don't care if I hit the fence with my shots I refuse to be a pusher.
Ok, so what I lost in 45 minutes but I played my game.
c)______ If it hadn't been so windy I would have won the match. Playing in the wind is tortuous. The wind is my nemesis. The next time it is windy I may decide to default and not bother playing the match.
d)______My opponent grunts, stalls, etc. I can't get into my playing rhythm because of my opponents annoying gamesmanship. I may even start grunting just to let my opponent know how annoying he/she sounds.
e)______I am angry at my coach. I am angry at the team captain etc. I've been put into the top spot against the opposing team and I'm being sacrificed. I don't care if I win or not I'm just showing up.
f)______Anger works for me. When I become angry in a match I feel more tuned in as my energy level rises. I've broken rackets but at least it shows I am passionate about winning. When I play doubles my anger seems to make my partner uncomfortable but too bad.
(catagory-2) PROBLEM-SOLVING AND OTHER IDEAS
a)______ This opponent is cheating. I've questioned the calls I think are incorrect. I took time out to see if I could locate a referee to monitor this match. I've checked in with my emotional state. I know I am becoming really impatient with this behavior. I shift my thoughts and feelings from "victim" to taking responsibility for the things I can control right now on my side of the court.
b)______This opponent has a style of play that is difficult for me to play against. I knew I was going to play this opponent and created a plan of patience for the match. I noticed my compulsion to force the points early on in the match. My aggressiveness was creating too many unforced errors. As much as I don't care for this style of play I respect how its made me a better player as I learn patience and create the opportunities to effectively counter-attack.
c)______Weather conditions often affect my mood and energy level. It is easy for me to be distracted and bogged down with frustrating thoughts and feelings when I play in windy conditions. I balance this awareness and use the time in between points and change-overs to
reinforce my game plan and stay with positive actions and thoughts. My body posture sends a message of strength and positive, engaged energy. I know my opponent doesn't care for these weather conditions either. I am not willing to spend time and energy on the negatives of playing in the wind. I direct my thoughts and performance to useful energy and problem solving.
d)_______The distractions that my opponent generates doesn't affect my energy or mental focus. I don't give away my energy by spending time worrying about what my opponent is doing on his/her side of the net. If my opponent is drifting outside the allotted rules of play I will seek out available resources to remedy the situation. If there are no resources available I accept this
annoyance as an amusing challenge versus a threat to my ability to perform.
e)______There are situations where our captain thinks it useful to alter the line-up and move our stronger players into slots that they will likely play against a weaker team for a "sure win."
The opposing team may play their line-up "straight-up" and since I am the "sacrifice" player potentially I can face a really strong opponent. The opposing team may also alter their line-up and I could end up playing the person I would have played in my original spot. Either way I am excited for the opportunity to compete. If I win against a stronger opponent it benefits my ranking points. If I lose it is a fantastic opportunity to experience competing against a strong opponent. If I lose to an opponent of my equal ability......well.......I guess I need to work on my game!
f)_______James Loehr, Ed.D writes in his book Toughness Training for Life, "the perception of
threat (losing) leads to a condition of negative arousal....linking negative arousal with the stress hormone cortisol has been associated with feelings of anxiety, tension, helplessness and loss of control." "The physiobiological mobilization process associated with perception of challenge (versus fear) is called positive arousal." Emotional competitiveness is characterized by emotional flexibility, responsiveness, clarity and the capacity to make useful adaptations in a losing situation. When I am in pressure situations I know how to keep track of my energy. I am able to stay positive, and never give up. When the match is over and if I lost I can learn from it and let it go.
Conclusion:
Add up your check marks. The number of check marks is self-explanatory. Are you draining more energy than building in stressful athletic situations? If there are an equal amount of check marks in each catagory the good news is you can improve your positive energy skills. When an athlete carries some level of negativity, doubt etc...onto the playing arena it doesn't guarantee losing. When the opponent isn't as skilled or experienced, negative energy may affect the experience of the players but it won't necessarily determine the outcome. When skills levels and abilities are equal, attitude, positive body language, emotional resiliancy etc. become factors.
Is developing positive performance energy as simplistic as "flipping the lense" of your thinking and behavior? Not really. An individuals personality, environment, sport-culture and training in this area of performance usually take time to develop. Overtime with persistence and chosing to select effective positive responses to stress and challenge a player is capable of building their resiliancy. This response becomes more automatic over time.
Get tough......and have fun.
