5 Ways To Get Over Pre-Game Fear

We’ve all been there just moments before a big game: your stomach turns over, and you begin to sweat. You are a skilled player with a talented team. You have nothing to fear. But there it is, that pre-game fear again. We are going to get over this together.

5 Ways To Get Over Pre-Game Fear

1. Pre-Game Cheers: Get in a circle with your socceristas and pump up before a game by chanting. You know the ones, “Whose field? Our field! Who’s great? We’re great!” These chants really work. Not only do chants get your adrenaline pumping and create bonds with your teammates, but they also trick your mind. Your mind cannot hold two contrasting thoughts at the same time. This confidence overrides fear.
2. Practice Mindfulness: People can tell you to relax or say there is nothing to be afraid of. Those words sound worthwhile, but they, alone, do not change your mind. You can rewire your brain’s fear response with mindfulness. One way to do this is to look around and name everything you see—clock, cleats, towel, water. Keep naming them until your fear response dies down. 
3. Take Deep Breaths: Then move to some deep breathing. Breathe into your belly and feel the air travel up and down through your body slowly. Try not to pay attention to anything else. This will build a more profound calm within your body.
4. Face Your Fear: Sometimes, you cannot push fear aside. In that case, you need to face it full-on. Working with a sports psychologist can help build that fear into a mental toughness that makes you a stronger person overall. Having an outside person come in creates a solid guiding post that can help you put your fears in their proper place. 
5. Think Positively: Fear can balance out with preparation. Using techniques like positive internal talk and positive visualizations can ready you to go into the game. Tell yourself that you are being challenged and that you have prepared to rise to this challenge. Since you have prepared yourself, you can put your fears behind you. 

Over, under, or through, you can face down your fears and overcome pre-game fear. Fear can help you build energy and a stronger mind, or it can take away from your playing ability. But recognizing it for what it is and planning to deal with it are the first steps toward putting fear away.

Featured Image via Adobe Stock

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