06:49
Faizan
Bill Russell spent time before every playoff game of his illustrious career bent over a toilet vomiting from nervousness. And he's a seven-foot tall, 11-time NBA basketball champion; the game's winningest player. Everyone gets nervous. You perceive the game as important and your body kicks into fight-or-flight mode, releasing adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol. But it's how you manage the feelings in your chest and stomach that help determine the outcome of the game.
Develop Confidence
Confidence trumps nervousness, but you have to develop it. Lifting weights, especially using the big muscles in the legs, increases testosterone and releases endorphins that make you feel good about yourself. The surge in testosterone will make you want to compete, so you'll look forward to the big game. Additionally, strong muscles move quicker, more powerfully and with more dexterity on the court. Increasing anaerobic stamina through endurance training also raises testosterone levels and will get you ready for competition. Start a basketball-specific strength and conditioning program at least eight weeks before the season begins.
Use Game Rehearsal
Fear's flames are fueled by uncertainty. That's why game experience helps calm nerves -- you know what to expect because you've been there before. It might be daunting news for a young basketball player, but there's a way to gain experience without stepping on the court. According to Lanny Bassham, Olympic gold medalist and world-renowned mental-performance trainer, the mind cannot differentiate between memories that are vividly imagined and real. By sitting in a quiet area for 10 to 20 minutes a day and imagining a well-played game, you gain valuable experience that will help keep you calm.
Distract Your Busy Mind
The conscious mind lives in the pre-frontal cortex, a part of your brain the size of a deck of cards that sits behind the forehead. It's what hijacks your body during a perceived important event, such as a basketball game. It can feel like everything is moving a million miles-an-hour and your body feels tight. The good news is that you can distract your conscious mind, relinquishing its control over your muscles to the more powerful subconscious. Sing a simple song in your head while you're on the court to silence that internal nervous chatter.
Focus on Process
You get nervous because you worry about the outcome. Learn to let go of the result because you have no control over it. And worrying about something you have no control over will cause nervousness. Choose to focus on what you can control -- the process. You control how hard you work on your jumper, but you can't control whether or not the ball goes in on game day. You control how much energy you use to defend, but you can't control if your opponent scores. Make hustling, hard work and executing plays your success because points, wins and losses come and go.
Develop Confidence
Confidence trumps nervousness, but you have to develop it. Lifting weights, especially using the big muscles in the legs, increases testosterone and releases endorphins that make you feel good about yourself. The surge in testosterone will make you want to compete, so you'll look forward to the big game. Additionally, strong muscles move quicker, more powerfully and with more dexterity on the court. Increasing anaerobic stamina through endurance training also raises testosterone levels and will get you ready for competition. Start a basketball-specific strength and conditioning program at least eight weeks before the season begins.
Use Game Rehearsal
Fear's flames are fueled by uncertainty. That's why game experience helps calm nerves -- you know what to expect because you've been there before. It might be daunting news for a young basketball player, but there's a way to gain experience without stepping on the court. According to Lanny Bassham, Olympic gold medalist and world-renowned mental-performance trainer, the mind cannot differentiate between memories that are vividly imagined and real. By sitting in a quiet area for 10 to 20 minutes a day and imagining a well-played game, you gain valuable experience that will help keep you calm.
Distract Your Busy Mind
The conscious mind lives in the pre-frontal cortex, a part of your brain the size of a deck of cards that sits behind the forehead. It's what hijacks your body during a perceived important event, such as a basketball game. It can feel like everything is moving a million miles-an-hour and your body feels tight. The good news is that you can distract your conscious mind, relinquishing its control over your muscles to the more powerful subconscious. Sing a simple song in your head while you're on the court to silence that internal nervous chatter.
Focus on Process
You get nervous because you worry about the outcome. Learn to let go of the result because you have no control over it. And worrying about something you have no control over will cause nervousness. Choose to focus on what you can control -- the process. You control how hard you work on your jumper, but you can't control whether or not the ball goes in on game day. You control how much energy you use to defend, but you can't control if your opponent scores. Make hustling, hard work and executing plays your success because points, wins and losses come and go.
Posted in: basketball
