They sway wildly from side to side or suddenly explode. For many, the emotions during the competition can even destroy the fun of their close friends. As a coaching authority for more than 25 years, the author will discuss the nature of the problem, how professional athletes deal with it, and provide some concrete ways overly competitive players can calm the emotions that hurt their “play time” and ours. .
We have all seen it happen to an individual during competition. More often it is men who exhibit these behaviors. The causes are due to both nature and nurture, but this discussion will remain non-gender specific.
Often, it starts with the player starting to whine or complain that “things aren’t going the way they expected today.” The frustration gradually increases during a team sport or an individual sport such as table tennis, tennis or racket. Suddenly it explodes.
A racket goes flying, or a ball goes flying over the fence, or worse yet, a friend or acquaintance becomes a target. A person who is generally kind by nature suddenly changes during competition.
Given the sheer number of contests, this rarely happens to professionals. Those who make a living from sports, especially individual sports, have made some major “emotional adjustments,” often with outside help. They do this because they MUST be competitive, to make a living.
Unfortunately, recreational players aren’t usually so lucky to get outside help or be forced to switch. This article will explore some of the behind-the-scenes “emotional adjustments” that professionals make, but first, it’s helpful to look at the personality that needs them and the exact reasons for doing so.
Victims of “Ping Pong Thrills” typically see themselves as achievers and often work in another competitive 9 to 5 setting. Their recreational sport of choice, whether it be table tennis, tennis, or basketball, is a passion that deserves the same intensity as them. carry each task. The result of each individual effort within that contest is a measure of achievement, a test of your self-worth.
A psychologist would call them “Over Reactive” or what used to be called a classic “Type A Personality.” Tactically, in tennis and other sports, there are several BIG reasons to stay calm on court that are NOT personal. For this reason, tennis professionals, for example, strive to change, since showing negative emotions costs them matches and a lot of money.
First, emotions are not the enemy here. Every human being has them. The mission here is to keep them productive, not destructive. Recreational players, like professionals, should briefly celebrate successes at key moments in the competition. Especially in tennis, some points are more important than others, some critical. Creating positive emotional expressions after an important sequence helps establish momentum, but negative emotions are best hidden for tactical reasons and limited for personal reasons.
Tactically, showing negative emotions encourages your opponent AND gives him tactical advice. It gives them what a poker player would call a “heads up.” The strategy against someone who is desperate, or on the brink of emotional breakdown, is different than the strategy a top competitor would choose if the opponent seems stable.
The best competitors maintain a “poker face,” a business countenance. Essentially, a tennis match should be played like a polite game of poker with no “hints.” Celebrate winning a “big jackpot” but get back to work after that.
In a team sport, like doubles tennis, your team’s success REQUIRES you to maintain a positive, cooperative, and encouraging attitude in the face of adversity, AT ALL TIMES. Anything less is destructive behavior for your teammate, therefore your team. A coach MUST bench any player whose behavior detracts from the team. Simple enough?
You and your partner/teammate are in this together. Humans read body language very well. Sloping shoulders, walking away from them, or biting your lip when they miss hurts the team. Dr. Allen Fox, the great coach, tennis champion, and sports psychologist, says that if you cringe when your partner makes a mistake, it’s because of your own insecurities.
Mistakes and mistakes are inevitable. Great teams are measured by how they progress after that. Great teammates ALWAYS root for their teammates after a mistake for two big reasons. First, the team will need a better performance from that person as soon as possible. Second, if the roles were reversed, you would want to be supported and treated as if you were valuable and about to play better at any moment.
It is important to realize that outward signs of frustration isolate and disorient your teammate(s). It makes them feel powerless to help you. Then after you get that feeling, you have to execute correctly and who wants to have to do that? Yuck!
Because outward signs of frustration hurt your team, that alone should be additional motivation to take steps to calm reactivity during competition. In the next article in this series, we’ll look at specific methods that big competitors use to do just that.
