Feeling anxious before a game? Good.

By: Paul Dennis
 
Before a game all athletes probably feel a little bit anxious. Some athletes think that that’s a bad thing. But all great players go through that experience.

What feeling anxious before a game is telling you is, that you’re excited about the game. Your arousal levels are increasing. This means you’re becoming more motivated. It’s important to have a little uncertainty in your mind. If there was no uncertainty in your mind then you would take your opponent for granted and you wouldn’t play as well. So having anxious thoughts prior to a game is a very, very good thing.

What’s bad is when you experience self-doubt prior to a game. When you start questioning yourself and thinking that if you make a mistake and don’t play well, people watching will judge you and think you’re unworthy.
Without a doubt an athlete’s worst enemy is self-doubt, self-criticism and the fear of failure.

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