It’s all in your head
It’s been said that luck is where preparation and opportunity meet. Mental Performance is a key component of any high performance sport. There is nothing that can describe the pressure felt by athletes during a high stakes competition like Canada Winter Games. Team BC is fortunate to have a stellar mental performance coaching team in Dave Freeze and Carl Neinhuis – two respected experts in this field.
Straight from the source – Dave and Carl have provided us with some tips for athletes:
#1. If you are feeling the pressure and nervousness of a big game, ask for help. That is why Carl and Dave are here! A well spent 15 minutes can help bring things into perspective and we can help with tips and techniques to reduce the pressure, stress and anxiety.
#2. Stick to your routines and diet. This is not the time to be changing things. The food services may not offer exactly what you are use to but make as good a choice as possible on food types and volumes. Use your time proven techniques for a good warm-up and pre training and racing routines.
#3. Don’t try to cram for last minute success! There is really very little that can help physically and technically at this point so continue to stick to the coaching plan in those regards and do not overdue anything. It is however a good time to be putting more effort into determining great strategies to gain competitive advantage with conditions and field of play environments. And keep up the mental preparation with good visualization and a finely tuned race or game plan.
#4. Look after yourself. There is a great deal of distraction, no shortage of sick people, and many ways to make a mess of your final preparations and competitions. Focus on resting well, sleeping well, eating well and staying hydrated. Wash your hands constantly and stay clear of those not well.
#5. Keep yourself organized and ready for the final training and competitive opportunities. Remember you need to be very focused and put in just the right amount of effort to have high performance moments. Being distracted or careless at the wrong moment could be costly so pay attention to yourself, your teammates and the environment.
See Canada Games live streaming at www.canadagamestv.ca and follow live updates on Twitter from @GoTeamBC
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Written by Katrina Galas, Team BC, Mission Staff in collaboration with Dave Freeze and Carl Neinhuis, Team BC, Mental Performance Consultants.