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March 18th, 2002
Most athletes who have stepped in the
competitive arena know the awful symptoms of a choke-in-progress:
increased heart rate, queasy stomach, rapid shallow breathing,
muscle tie-up, visual impairment, and a head full of dubious
thoughts. With all of that going on It's a wonder anyone could
walk and talk, let alone compete. Actually, many people can't
walk or talk when they are on the verge on choking. It doesn't
have to be that way though. The fact is, choking isn't some
immutable trait we are born with. It is a learned phenomenon
that can be controlled. Here are a few tips that will help
you do just that.
 Put
things in Perspective. Here is a news flash - there are more
important things in life than winning a foosball tournament.
Sports are fun, exciting and challenging, but they are just
games, nothing more, nothing less. From the start, put sports
into perspective and you'll enjoy them more. Work hard, compete
hard, but don't worry about winning or losing. More importantly,
concentrate on the experience of competing, and what you can
learn from it. If you do your best, if you give the most you
have to give, I promise you that you'll be satisfied and happy.
The next time you're in competition and things are really
nerve racking, ask yourself the question "Will any of
this really matter a year from now?" Most likely it won't.
Don't be afraid to make a mistake. No
one is successful all the time. Even Michael Jordan missed
the last second shot now and then. Actually, he missed it
more often than you may think - about 50 percent of the time.
When it came to crunch time, though Jordan still wanted the
ball. His shooting percentage when the game was on the line
didn't bother him, because he knew that hit or miss there
were plenty more shots to take. That's the best lesson to
learn - no matter what happens there is always another day.
Be prepared. When preparing for competition,
give it everything you have. The secret is to be overly prepared.
Evander Holyfield has a wonderful philosophy about preparation.
When he was to fight Mike Tyson for the first time he was
asked by a sports reporter if he was nervous or scared. Holyfield
said "I never get nervous when I'm in the ring, because
I'm always prepared physically and mentally when I get there.
I do everything I can in training. I work as hard as I can.
When it comes time to fight, I know I've done my very best.
When you have done your very best there is no reason to be
nervous. Generally, the guys who get nervous are the guys
who aren't prepared. I'm always prepared. And if I lose, I
can live with it, because I gave it everything I could.. Without
a doubt, confidence that comes from preparation is the "real
deal". It isn't so much the physical game you're developing
(of course, that's important too) so much as the act of getting
ready and the knowledge that you have put in the time preparing.
By the time you walk into the tournament room you have to
feel that you are the best you can possible be. Then, let
the rest take care of itself.
Focus on the moment. One of the best ways
to choke is to think about how important the contest is that
you are competing in. Such thinking will typically generate
additional physical and emotional stress that interferes with
performance. When competing, focus on the task at hand. Don't
worry about the outcome of the contest or what can be won
or lost. For example, you might want to focus on some technical
aspect of your game or the muscles that you're using to make
the pass,shot or block. When the mind is totally focused,
all doubt is pushed aside. In short, your body will cease
to experience a body that is inhibited by the distractions
of your mind. Over time you will learn that if you maintain
this type of focus, the outcome of the event will take care
of itself.
Develop a consistent behavioral pattern.
As previously mentioned, the response of fear is generally
associated with cognitive involvement. Usually, it's your
thoughts that bring about the physiological symptoms associated
with fear and/or choking. By keeping the mind occupied, thoughts
that evoke fear are less likely to emerge. Consequently, by
creating a behavior pattern that is incompatible with your
pensiveness and fear, cognitive involvement can be decreased.
Take two deep breaths, visualize your game, serve the ball
and use your passing series' and offensive shots just like
you practiced. Each behavior should follow the next without
interruption so that you would only have time to focus on
the behavior that you are engaging in. Each portion of the
game is really a whole small game in itself, ie...passing,
then the offensive shot, the defensive 5, and so on...These
little things all string together to form the WHOLE game.
By becoming more systematic about your playing, you will decrease
negative thinking and thereby decrease your chance of choking.
Look at the worst case scenario. Sometimes
in life we simply screw up. When that happens and you're going
down in flames, ask yourself what is the worst thing that
can happen. Usually, it is something that we can live with.
In fact, most of the time we exaggerate the importance of
en event. In the grand scheme of life, winning or losing an
athletic event has little significance. If its not your wife
and it's not your life - don't worry about it.
Based on an article by Judd Biasiotto,
PhD, http://www.ironcurtainlabs.net/athletes.html
Adapted to foosball by Jim
McKenney.
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