How Do You Deal With Pressure When You Are Nervous?

[Milton145]

This will be my 2nd year playing football ever and my first year playing football in high school and I will be going in the 10th grade next year. The coach has me as a JV for now which I'm perfectly fine with (until next year in 11th) but doesn't deny that I can shoot up to Varsity sometime this season since I have high character and very determined.

I'm shorter than most people at 5'6 right now. I want to be versatile and play WR (I have great hands) and also some RB. I have [i]good[/i] speed, not great but good enough and I'm extremely elusive and hard to tackle since I have a sort of thick build and also very short.. I also have very high endurance and give it my all every single drill/play.

Next week I'm going to be going to the school's football camp and I'm very nervous mostly because of my size and the coach has me listed as a WR now so I feel more pressured to be catching passes. When I get nervous I sort of become quiet and out of the equation (when I'm confident I'm as loud as it gets though ) and tend to mess up. One mistake usually takes a toll on me for the whole time I'm doing what I'm doing. I'm asking you to help me with ways to fight off my nervousness and also ways to get hyped up and be the full player I can be.

Any help would be nice. Thanks.

[Purple Nurple]

Repeat after me...... " I am the man and I have got this "

Self confidence does wonderful things. Thats it, real simple.....just don't get cocky after a while.

[theFRANCHISE]

The best thing you can keep telling yourself is that you can always make up for a mistake on the next play; once a play is over, it's over, but there's always the next one. Even in your last game of your season or your career, that still holds true because you are always defined by the next thing you do rather than the last. No one remembers the mistakes if you improve upon them and rectify them later.

You can't beat yourself up because that's the first step to getting beaten, period. You accept responsibility, you move on. If everyone dwelled on their mistakes, then no one would ever find a way to improve because they'd be so concerned with what they did wrong rather than what they could have done better with their next opportunity.

Always, always, always focus on the next play. Keep it one play at a time. And never let yourself think that you can never do better, and once you get that in your mind, you'll never do any worse.

[thewarden86]

Two things:

1st - Veterans of the NFL STILL get nervous before games. We're all human so remember that you'll probably not be the only one who is. Let the "other guy" worry about his nervousness while you seize the opportunity.

2nd - Muscle memory and repetition: Have someone throw passes at you as much as possible until camp. Catch on both sides and try to catch EVERYTHING. Run a few routes too. This should cut down on bobbled balls and drops.

Good luck!

[Milton145]

Thanks guys.

The self confidence thing comes easily to me when I've been around the system long enough and have really established that I can play is when I play at my highest level which I think is great. Me going to a different school around different people, it kind of makes me think of the worse case scenario whenever I'm doing a play or working a drill since I'm not familiar.

I'll try to stay positive throughout the camp and try to think of the best case scenario before I do everything.

[Milton145]

[quote name='thewarden86' date='02 June 2010 - 09:17 PM' timestamp='1275527862' post='417076']
Two things:

1st - Veterans of the NFL STILL get nervous before games. We're all human so remember that you'll probably not be the only one who is. Let the "other guy" worry about his nervousness while you seize the opportunity.

2nd - Muscle memory and repetition: Have someone throw passes at you as much as possible until camp. Catch on both sides and try to catch EVERYTHING. Run a few routes too. This should cut down on bobbled balls and drops.

Good luck!
[/quote]


Me and my friend have been working like crazy on catching and throwing. In fact I think I have perfect my 10 and Out Route. I call it my "Uncoverable Route" or just straight up "Derrick Mason Route"

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Milton145' date='02 June 2010 - 09:27 PM' timestamp='1275528440' post='417082']
Me and my friend have been working like crazy on catching and throwing. In fact I think I have perfect my 10 and Out Route. I call it my "Uncoverable Route" or just straight up "Derrick Mason Route"
[/quote]

Sweet. Make it come natural. I just found out a weakness of my son: He's not as consistent catching passes from his right as he is from the left.

[Romo Ravens]

The golden rule:

DON'T worry about what anyone has to say. Be it your buddies, teammates, friends etc. At the end of the day, the only one you should worry about is your coach. Plus the cheerleaders. Just kidding man.

If you make a mistake, move on to the next one. High School kids are just straight up nasty, so it's important to [i]not[/i] listen to the hoots and hollers. As long as you're doing you, you got this. Don't be mad at yourself if you drop a couple of passes. Don't blame the thrower either. Focus on the next play, and don't think about it to much. Good luck.

[BuckWilds]

Heart...

> When you're going through two or three-a-days and everyone else is dragging, be the guy who runs harder.

> When the other receivers round their routes, be the guy cuts them sharper.

> When the other receivers are running soft routes because it's a sweep to the other side, be the WR who takes someone off their feet 15 yards down field in support of your RB.

Heart can make you seem supernatural to those around you. They think, "How does this guy keep going?" and "How does he keep on hitting so hard?" You'll know and they'll wonder.

You'll learn the offense. You'll get the routes. You'll soon discover who is big, fast or talented - that comes quickly, after only a few practices. And after three or four weeks of preseason mult-practice days and a season of hits, sprints and drills, you'll find out who has the most heart.

Coaches LOVE players with heart.

[marek0393]

Visualize and conquer. Envision yourself catching that game winning catch or even the quick 7 yard gain. At 6'4" and 165lbs I wasn't supposed to make much of a left tackle. But before every play I envisioned myself holding off the guy opposite me.
And should you catch a bad break and drop a pass don't let it affect the rest of the game.
Every play is a chance to blow them out of the water.
Anyways that's just what I did when I played. Just visualize and conquer man.

[flynismo]

@ OP...

Notice the two recurring themes here? "Envision yourself doing what you want to do" and "confidence".

Take note! It really is as easy as that...just empty your mind of everything, other than what you are going to do right here, right now, and get used to the idea of succeeding. People only get nervous because they are afraid to fail...but if you are used to the idea of succeeding, that's half the battle.

Good luck!

[BloodRaven]

Blind unwavering arrogance and a short memory are the key, never play as if you have something to protect, and never worry about being hurt or humiliated because you will be. Willingly accept that bad plays can happen at some point and you will be unshakable.

Then smack someone in the mouth... hard.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='BloodRaven' date='03 June 2010 - 02:04 PM' timestamp='1275588296' post='417328']
Blind unwavering arrogance and a short memory are the key, never play as if you have something to protect, and never worry about being hurt or humiliated because you will be. Willingly accept that bad plays can happen at some point and you will be unshakable.

Then smack someone in the mouth... hard.
[/quote]

Wow Blood, now [i]I'm[/i] pumped up! lol

[FlaccoFlicker]

[quote name='BloodRaven' date='03 June 2010 - 02:04 PM' timestamp='1275588296' post='417328']
Blind unwavering arrogance and a short memory are the key, never play as if you have something to protect, and never worry about being hurt or humiliated because you will be. Willingly accept that bad plays can happen at some point and you will be unshakable.

Then smack someone in the mouth... hard.
[/quote]
sounds like my regime except mines mma not football

[Alexir]

Listen to you're i pod before hand including but not limited to In the air tonight by Phil Collins.

[berad]

Watch [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeexDrlNx5E"]this video[/url]

Pure inspiration.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Alexir' date='03 June 2010 - 03:30 PM' timestamp='1275593416' post='417378']
Listen to you're i pod before hand including but not limited to In the air tonight by Phil Collins.
[/quote]

Still never understood how that pumps Ray up.

If I listened to anything it'd be Slayer or Danzig. THAT stuff makes you want to take someone's head off.

[XxSizzleXx]

Music does it for me, some types of music just let me loose.

[ROH522155]

As a baseball player I deal with pressure all the time too. Especially standing in the box taking on a good pitcher in a big time moment. On Monday my high school team (Kettle Run) was taking on Louisa County in the regional quarterfinals and they had a guy on the mound named Gunnar Carroll. You can type it on google and it will come up as a recommended search. Hes committed to pitch at US Military Academy and throws around 85 mph. He had a perfect game going against us till the 6th then in the 7th I came up runners on first and third one out game tied at 0. I was so nervous. I ended up getting a hit and wouldve been the hero that gave us our first run but the runner on 2nd tripped and had to stay at third! We ended up scoring five runs anyway and won.

Anyways the way I dealt with it was I kept telling myself its just me and Gunnar dont worry about anything else. Focus on beating the guy standing in front of you and forget about everything else. And to be aggressive go get the action don't wait for it to find you because if you do its gonna catch you off guard. Its the same for any sport

[Malkavian Raven]

Each snap, reset your brain. You keep worrying what happened earlier, it'll eat at you and you'll find yourself worrying about a lot more than that.

Repetition is definitive. My 9-year old is listed as a WR as well, his first year (first year he's been eligible), he & I practice for two hours every night. He's solid on curls, slants and crossing routes but struggles heavily on out routes; either misses the ball, bobbles it or when he catches it his feet are out of bounds.

And it doesn't hurt to have someone play coverage, preferably someone a little taller, a little faster. Our 7-year old helps and he'd make one heck of a Corner or Safety.

Lastly, never get down on yourself. Keep your head in the game and take it one play at a time; you'll be your teams home-run hitter in no time.

[JonM229]

I just sweat...a lot

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='thewarden86' date='03 June 2010 - 04:13 PM' timestamp='1275596001' post='417402']
Still never understood how that pumps Ray up.

If I listened to anything it'd be Slayer or Danzig. THAT stuff makes you want to take someone's head off.
[/quote]

I don't know how that wouldn't pump Ray up. Did you ever listen to the song? It's all about unlocking the chest of horrors deep inside so you can unleash the beast. Oh, why do I try to explain to the mortals?!



There really is a perfectly logical reason it works - I just don't have the words to explain.

[Reddawn36]

Just worry about 2 or 3 things.

The Ball in the Air
Your route running
and the shame you want to put on the guy covering you
------------------------
Ignore the ambient sounds, don't hold mistakes against yourself.

Don't worry about what's on the coaches mind.... just worry about the ball, and if you mess up..... forget it(the mistake), and work harder


The last thing you want to do while running a route, trying to catch a ball.... is worry about everything else going on....


give your competition something to worry about

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Zhamtao' date='04 June 2010 - 12:06 PM' timestamp='1275667580' post='417729']
I don't know how that wouldn't pump Ray up. Did you ever listen to the song? It's all about unlocking the chest of horrors deep inside so you can unleash the beast. Oh, why do I try to explain to the mortals?!



There really is a perfectly logical reason it works - I just don't have the words to explain.
[/quote]

Of course I've heard it. That song is about 30 years old. And it's about Phil Collins witnessing a coward who refused to help someone who ended up dying. If I recall this guy watched a kid drown and did nothing.

Rumor was always that Phil invited the guy personally to a concert and the told the story to the crowd and then played the song.

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='thewarden86' date='04 June 2010 - 12:11 PM' timestamp='1275667892' post='417737']
Of course I've heard it. That song is about 30 years old. And it's about Phil Collins witnessing a coward who refused to help someone who ended up dying. If I recall this guy watched a kid drown and did nothing.

Rumor was always that Phil invited the guy personally to a concert and the told the story to the crowd and then played the song.
[/quote]

No, no. I know you've 'listened' to the song. But have you 'heard' the song?

See, all the details about Phil Collins' meaning behind the song don't matter. The song is about what Ray takes out of it. I'm sure he can feel it, coming in the air tonight. And when he does, Oh lord!

[Purple Nurple]

[quote name='thewarden86' date='04 June 2010 - 12:11 PM' timestamp='1275667892' post='417737']
Of course I've heard it. That song is about 30 years old. And it's about Phil Collins witnessing a coward who refused to help someone who ended up dying. If I recall this guy watched a kid drown and did nothing.

Rumor was always that Phil invited the guy personally to a concert and the told the story to the crowd and then played the song.
[/quote]


You don't actually believe that do you? Thats an Urban Legend of the highest order.

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Air_Tonight"]Click me and scroll down, dummy.[/url]

[theFRANCHISE]

I'm inclined to agree with Warden...knowing the meaning of the song (even if it's just an urban legend) kinda takes away some of the effect on me.

Doesn't mean it still doesn't give me goosebumps when the drums hit, though.

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='04 June 2010 - 12:36 PM' timestamp='1275669372' post='417764']
I'm inclined to agree with Warden...knowing the meaning of the song (even if it's just an urban legend) kinda takes away some of the effect on me.

Doesn't mean it still doesn't give me goosebumps when the drums hit, though.
[/quote]

I don't how to explain it... It really only matters what Ray perceives it as. If it strikes the right chord for him, then it's doing it's job as prep music for him.

Phil Collins even says he's not sure what the song means, just that it's about the visceral portions of anger, etc. I'd dare say that serves a perfectly good way to prepare for 'super happy smash face time'.

[Purple Nurple]

[quote name='Zhamtao' date='04 June 2010 - 12:43 PM' timestamp='1275669816' post='417773']
I don't how to explain it... It really only matters what Ray perceives it as. If it strikes the right chord for him, then it's doing it's job as prep music for him.

[/quote]


Bingo. If it works for Ray, then its working for me.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Purple Nurple' date='04 June 2010 - 12:29 PM' timestamp='1275668991' post='417761']
You don't actually believe that do you? Thats an Urban Legend of the highest order.

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Air_Tonight"]Click me and scroll down, dummy.[/url]
[/quote]

This was in the 80's and before wikipedia and snopes...Dummy. It was fun to believe, true or not. You've just ruined it for me. Thanks. I hope you feel good about yourself.