How to Develop A Pregame Routine Are you anxious prior to competitions? Do you feel unsure before a game and fearful that you might mess up? Prior to a competition, are your thoughts scattered and your mind filled with distractions? Do you find it difficult to mentally prepare for a competition and get into the right mindset? Anxiety, fear, worry, the inability to focus and difficulty … [Read more...]
Don’t Talk Yourself Into Service Miss in Volleyball
Overcoming Pressure to Preform in Games Have you ever missed a crucial serve? Like one of the "deadly sins" of serving? A first point, a game point, after a time-out, after a teammate misses their serve? Serving under pressure, especially in a position like game point, can be extremely difficult for volleyball players. You might feel like the spotlight is on you and everyone is watching … [Read more...]
How to be Resilient on the Court
How to Build Mental Toughness in Volleyball: "Set Me Again" Do you persevere in the face of adversity? Are you able to remain strong minded after a mistake? While on the court, do you push through whatever obstacles you meet? I was the type of player who wanted the ball, even after I made a mistake. I started this sort of resilience in high school; playing with absolutely no fear. If I … [Read more...]
Bench Your Expectations to Play Fearless Volleyball
Do You Get Pregame Jitters? Are you scared when you step on the court? Do you fear making a mistake? Or being judged by others? Or being embarrassed if you mess up? I had a teammate one year in college that got so nervous and anxious right before a game that she would throw up... In the game, you could tell she was hesitant and playing with fear. This teammate did a lot of good things when … [Read more...]
How Volleyball Teams Can Succeed Against Rivals
How to Mentally Prepare For Playing Rivals Being from Durham, or North Carolina in general, you take part in the famous Duke-UNC rivalry. Coach K was my neighbor while growing up in Durham, so obviously I was a Blue Devil. In February 2012, I was fortunate enough to attend the Duke-UNC game at the Dean Dome. It wasn’t looking good for Duke throughout most of the game, and Carolina was … [Read more...]
How Kyrie Irving Copes With Pressure
How to Minimize Game Time Pressure Many times, athletes attribute poor performance to pressure and nervousness. These athletes often complain that their parents, coaches, or teammates put too much pressure on them. While parents and coaches create an environment of pressure, they are not the cause of pressure. The cause of pressure is when the athlete internalizes the expectations of … [Read more...]
How To Anticipate The Unexpected And Adjust
Expect The Unexpected If preparation and planning are the keys to success, what should an athlete do if something interrupts their plan? It happens all the time... You have trained as hard as you could for months and months preparing for some big competition... You have honed your strategy... You feel ready and confident... Then something unexpected occurs... Maybe you arrive … [Read more...]
Sports Psychology Podcast: Dealing With Pre-Match Jitters
In this week's sports psychology podcast, Dr. Cohn helps a rugby player regain confidence after injury. Sports psychology expert, Dr. Patrick Cohn helps athletes boost confidence and perform their best in competition. Dr. Cohn answers the following mental game question: I am a 21 year old rugby player but I have been injured for nearly 11 months. I’m finding it quite difficult to motivate myself … [Read more...]
Why Fear of Failure Leads to Tentative Play
Are You Afraid to Fail? More and more, athletes I work with on the mental game come are held back by fear of failure. Fear and fear of failure are a constant source of stress or anxiety that sabotages your or your team's performance. In sports, most of the fear athletes have is based on their perception of the importance of a performance or game AND what they assume others think about their … [Read more...]
Favre Welcomes the Pregame Butterflies in NFL Return
Pregame Jitters Most athletes feel “jitters” or nervousness before competition. But are jitter a bad thing to feel before a game? It depends on who you ask. Many young athletes who experience pregame jitters think they are nervous or tense and don't like these feelings. However, veteran players welcome pregame jitters and even worry when they don't feel some butterflies before a game. As a … [Read more...]