As I expressed in my last article, as we look to the coming season, for most of you increasing your competitive confidence is what will make the greatest impact on your tournament performance. Improving technique and expanding conditioning is also necessary, but I think you'll find that increasing your competitive confidence is what will most dramatically impact your win column.
Why? Because most of you are excellent technicians already, and have an adequate level of conditioning, but knowing how to mentally maintain a high level of confidence as you square off with formidable opponents at big tournaments is a skill you haven't developed. And, it is a skill.
Developing a tournament mindset is the first step towards elevating your competitive confidence. Meaning, you have to clearly separate practice from tournaments; the two are entirely different planets. Even if you're wrestling-off with a tuff teammate for a varsity spot, it's not a tournament. Why? The room is familiar, you probably haven't cut weight, and the pressure to win is less. In the room distractions are minimal, family and friends aren't around, and you're not intimidated by the other guys size or reputation. In other words "everything" is familiar. At tournaments everything is unfamiliar, which creates confusion, lack of focus, doubt, and ultimately a confidence crash.
Having a tournament mindset is an entirely different mental approach to everything on tournament day, and actually the night before too. It's like having two personalities. For example: When you're at the dinner table with your family you have one style of interaction; as opposed to being with your buddies, where you have a different style. At the dinner table you're more conservative, respectful, restrained, and considerate. When you're with your buddies you're wide open, letting it all hangout. Practice and daily training is like hanging with your buddies. A tournament mindset is like being at the dinner table, it's controlled and focused. The two styles are distinctly different. Get my point?
When preparing mentally for a tournament it's necessary to leave "fun" out of the equation. Treating a tournament like an outing with your friends is committing suicide. The fun part of a tournament is winning, not playing with your friends. Learning how to focus instead of playing are the mental skills you need to learn in order to have a high level of confidence when it comes time to wrestle.
You accomplish this by learning a series of mental techniques and routines that help you stay focused as you go through staging; as you warm-up at the edge of the mat; and finally as you wrap your leg bands and shake your opponents hand. The techniques and routines I'm referring to are simple, specific, and effective. They help minimize arena distractions, get you rested and focused between matches, and ultimately help you manage doubt and fear, which ALL competitors have.
Do you realize that? Every competitor goes through pre-match moments of doubt and fear. It's natural. The competitors who know how to manage doubt and fear are the ones who win.
Until then, here's to believing.
Steve Knight is the author of WinningSTATE-Wrestling, a groundbreaking new book that teaches wrestlers how to conquer doubt and fear and effectively manage the craziness of a tournament environment. An engaging speaker, Steve is available for seminars. For more information visit winningstate.com or contact Steve via email: steve@winningstate.com.
