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Conquering preseason nerves in sport

For most (summer season) athletes this is the time of the year that we set our sights on the competitions ahead. What we will target, what performance we expect (want) and put ourselves out there to be tested. As the excitement builds, so do the nerves. So what can we do about this?

1. Set up training so you can have opportunities to practice for your events - the distances, speeds or skills you will want to execute come competition day. Nothing helps us feel confident (and to squash nerves) like real experience. So set up practice to run competition simulations.
2. Trawl your memory banks to find the experiences that show that you have done what is required for you to perform on competition day. These could be experiences from training/practice or previous competitions. What experiences show that you are prepared, or becoming more and more prepared?
3. Plan for the period up to the competition so you can see a progression to the event, in which you become more and more prepared.

These are things you can do right now - weeks or even months out from you important competitions.

Best of luck with your season.

Dr Victor Thompson
Clinical Sports Psychologist
Based in London, UK
www.SportsPsychologist.com
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