Jay’s original article is here.
My post read:
I think confidence and failure are very much related. Lack of confidence often has to do with an outsized fear of the consequences of failure. A lot of times I'll feel that I can't do a certain thing. But not because I don't know what to do, but because I'm afraid of what will happen if I try and fail.There is a surprisingly shallow pool of free information on the internet with regard to sports psychology. I suspect that is because the “data” per se, isn’t very specialized, though the actual administration of sports psychology is exactly that. In other words, unless you are focusing on the issues of a specific athlete, much of what sports psychology has to say is pretty boilerplate.
This is compounded when things like rank, recognition and ego are involved--as they inevitably are. But the key to confidence is often in getting over the fear of failure.
That said, I did find some interesting things here and there that might be helpful. Here’s a section from the USTA (United States Tennis Association) website section on player development:
“Tennis players are motivated by many factors, including fear of failure, hope for success, or a combination of these two. While there are times when fear of failure is helpful (for example, to prevent overconfidence when a player is expected to win easily), it is healthier to approach competition from a “success” rather than “fear of failure” perspective.
Fear of failure is a weaker form of motivation because it increases worry and negative thinking (“I better not lose this match”), detracts from performance focus, and centers thoughts excessively on outcome. Players with this fear enjoy competition less and are at greater risk for leaving the sport. By contrast, players who approach tennis from a success orientation welcome tough challenges with less fear, and they view competition as an exciting opportunity to improve their skills and display their competency.
What can you do to help players adopt a success orientation? Here are some suggestions:
Every match has some elements of success, regardless of the actual outcome. In reviewing the matches, focus on the positive aspects of the performance, rather than the negative. Help the player set and achieve short-term goals to increase the behavior needed for continual improvement. Attaining these goals provides the player with a rewarding sense of satisfaction, regardless of the competitive outcome, and it leads the player to focus more on “success” rather than “failure.”
Convey an attitude to the player that the most exciting and enjoyable moment of competition occurs when the match is close and on the line. Encourage the player to thrive on these challenges, for it provides her or him with an opportunity to overcome difficult obstacles and to achieve even greater success.
Arrange practices and competitions so that the player gains experience in “going for it” under pressure. By expecting to perform even better in tight situations, rather than holding back due to insecurity, the player gains greater control over her or his actions. This attitude promotes a healthy motivation toward success and enhances feelings of competency.”
My biggest problems tend to have to do with rolling with white belts and other relative newcomers I feel I must outperform. I remember having this feeling shortly after getting my blue belt; that it was no longer tolerable to yield so much as a point to a white belt in sparring. Obviously this is a counter-productive attitude to have when training. Unfortunately, this attitude—which has lingered in one form or the other ever since—was compounded Tuesday night when Rodrigo kept “score” on my first sparring session. My fatigue, combined with my general defensive fighting nature, helped create a perfect storm of anxiety that contributed to an annoyingly poor performance.
Update: I spent some time compiling all of the first e-mails from Lloyd Irvin's Grappling Blueprint free, e-mail service. I remember reading some criticism of Irvin that his material were pretty much basic "sports psychology crap." Well, it's crap I needed to re-read. Irvin hits on a lot of the things that have been holding me back mentally, as well as convincing me that I am right about how he creates what he calls "the phenomenon" by focusing on specialization early and often in a jiu jitsu career.
I've printed out the pages and am going to bind them sometime over the weekend. At this point, they are almost daily, required reading.
