{"id":14906,"date":"2022-10-20T21:15:26","date_gmt":"2022-10-21T01:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=14906"},"modified":"2025-06-04T06:35:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T10:35:18","slug":"mindset-for-playing-rivalries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mindset-for-playing-rivalries\/","title":{"rendered":"Mindset For Playing Rivalries"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/playing-a-rival.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/playing-a-rival.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/playing-a-rival-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Manage_Anxiety_in_Stressful_Games\"><\/span>Manage Anxiety in Stressful Games<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mindset-for-playing-rivalries\/#Manage_Anxiety_in_Stressful_Games\" >Manage Anxiety in Stressful Games<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mindset-for-playing-rivalries\/#The_truth_is_you_have_the_power_to_reel_in_your_response_and_even_prevent_that_negative_response_altogether\" >The truth is you have the power to reel in your response and even prevent that negative response altogether.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mindset-for-playing-rivalries\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mindset-for-playing-rivalries\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Do you get psyched up for <strong>rivalry games<\/strong>, or does the hoopla surrounding rivalry competitions cause you to feel pressure and anxiety?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rivalries can be highly motivating for some athletes. These athletes look forward to rivalry competitions to prove their superiority over their opponents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, by winning, they also earn bragging rights until the next time they face off. These athletes experience a physiological and mental boost that psyches them up to perform their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, for some athletes, <strong>rivalries <\/strong>are competitions filled with anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the competition begins, these athletes experience an intense, prolonged and overwhelming physiological response. This response is caused by excessive anxiety.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In highly anxious moments, you experience significant negative biological changes: heart rate increases muscles tense up, breathing becomes shallow, and adrenaline surges through the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rivalries change more than our body chemistry. Competing against <strong>rivals <\/strong>can adversely affect focus, thinking, decision-making, and emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, imagine you are competing against your long-term rival in a mid-season competition. You feel a lot is riding on this competition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For days, you have built up this contest to be bigger than it is. When the game starts, you think, &#8220;I&#8217;m so anxious, I can&#8217;t even focus.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of immersing yourself in your game, you are immersed in how you feel mentally and physically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_truth_is_you_have_the_power_to_reel_in_your_response_and_even_prevent_that_negative_response_altogether\"><\/span>The truth is you have the power to reel in your response and even prevent that negative response altogether.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you reframe your circumstances, you shrink the importance of the competition. Minimizing the significance of a <strong>rivalry <\/strong>lessens the stakes of the contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, it is not the most important game but just another game. If you lose to a rival, it carries the same weight as any other competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles have been long-time rivals. Before the 2022 Dallas-Eagles match-up, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown stated he was aware of the rivalry but not focused on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BROWN<\/strong>: &#8220;<em>I just don&#8217;t take it that serious. I&#8217;m not gonna get too caught up in the rivalry. It&#8217;s another game, and I&#8217;m just trying to do my job so we can go 1-0 this week. Huge division game. Now, that&#8217;s the big part about it, trying to get ahead in the division. But all the <strong>rivalry<\/strong>, the going back and forth stuff? You&#8217;ll never see me going back and forth or doing something I&#8217;m not supposed to be doing on the football field. I&#8217;m playing football, and I&#8217;m trying to win games.<\/em>&#8220;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Focusing on what you need to do to prepare your best and paying attention to your role for the game lessens the pressure, no matter who you play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take the word &#8220;<strong>rivalry<\/strong>&#8221; out of your vocabulary. When your teammates, coach, parents, or media hype up a game, remember that the competition has no greater significance than any other game. Keep the focus on you and nothing else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pressure is not external to you. You create pressure for yourself when you place importance on an important game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-turn-self-doubt-into-confidence\/\">How to Turn Self-Doubt Into Confidence<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-manage-anxiety-in-competitions\/\">How to Manage Anxiety in Competitions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/overcoming-pressure-and-anxiety-in-matches\/\">Overcoming Pressure and Anxiety in Matches<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>&nbsp;on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"The Confident Athlete Audio and Workbook Program\" class=\"wp-image-19341\" style=\"width:190px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Manage Anxiety in Stressful Games Do you get psyched up for rivalry games, or does the hoopla surrounding rivalry competitions cause you to feel pressure and anxiety? Rivalries can be highly motivating for some athletes. These athletes look forward to rivalry competitions to prove their superiority over their opponents.&nbsp; In addition, by winning, they also earn bragging rights &#8230; <a title=\"Mindset For Playing Rivalries\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mindset-for-playing-rivalries\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Mindset For Playing Rivalries\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14908,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,142],"tags":[324,247],"class_list":["post-14906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-concentration-in-sports","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-focus-in-sports","tag-mental-toughness-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is your general approach to rivalry games? 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