COVID has certainly become a double edged sword in terms of the way we feel about competitions. While some athletes feel excited about getting back to competing, many feel a sense of anxiety and fear of not being able to play as well as before. Now that competitions are becoming more frequent, this fear and anxiety seems to be a huge obstacle in the minds of athletes. Although they may have been training harder than ever over the course of the few months, competition somehow seems to be getting the best of them.
Here’s an account of Rhucha Pathak, a gymnast and an aspiring Sports Psychologist, who spoke about her pre-competition fear and how she focused on her process and the joy of how it feels to embrace it and perform to her best.
“The thought of competing finally after 2 years made me feel a mixture of nervousness and exhilaration. The butterflies were raging inside my stomach, and my knees felt like they were going to fall under the weight of my own body. The constant spurts of adrenaline in me every time I thought about competing on all the apparatus at University Nationals after 2 years kept the nervousness from taking over the rest of my body.
“When I think about participating, my heart starts racing and I get a bit worried, but I’m still calm and enthusiastic.” This morning’s podium training in the competition arena was incredibly special and my routines felt excellent. I adore the feeling of nailing a great routine, and tomorrow I’ll get another chance to revel in the sensation of flying through the air with complete control. My goal is to focus on achieving that sweet rhythm for the joy of how it feels.”
In a normal competition, various teams compete against one another. The host team will always begin with vault and progress through the Olympic events in the following order: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. After each rotation, the other teams will rotate events with the other team. During any given rotation, each team will field six gymnasts to compete in an event. When all six athletes have finished their routines, the highest five scores are put together to form the event total. I’ve been doing gymnastics for as long as I can remember. I knew I’d never want to leave my gymnastics hall the moment I stepped inside.”
Rhucha Pathak has described the fear that most of us feel before competing in a very comprehensible manner. Here are a few things to keep in mind before competing which she got right.
- Accept your feeling –
Whatever you are feeling, allow yourself to feel it before the competition for a brief period of time. Allowing yourself to feel the emotion certainly enables you to acknowledge the fact that you are feeling a certain way. You can allow yourself to feel your emotions by just sitting by yourself and observing your thoughts for a minute or two. When you observe your thoughts, you can acknowledge how you feel and give yourself a sense of reassurance by looking for other alternatives.
- Center yourself –
Usually when you feel any emotion, you go through physiological changes as well. The muscles get tensed or loosen up, heart rate may fluctuate, your posture may change as well. This happens without your knowledge, but it could also be the easiest to gain control over in such situations. Before the competition, it is essential to scan your body and allow yourself to relax and recenter, removing all the tension. This will help you gain back control over yourself.
- Refocus –
Once you center yourself, it is vital to redirect your focus on what you got to do in that situation. In Rhucha’s case, she focused on her routines and her process. Focusing on what you can do allows you to gain control over the situation in an effective manner. This certainly reduces the fear and anxiety since both you feel fear and anxiety when you think you don’t have control over the situation. Refocusing simply puts things back into perspective.