Matchday Nerves (Playing)

BKWDR

Just a quick post, it's something that has plagued me since i've started playing the game.

It takes over early in the day of a match. The feeling in the stomach. To the point that i have a mental battle of deciding to turn up to the match or if i turn up late i definitely won't start.

Then if i am picked to start, that 30 minutes before a game is vomit enducing. (without the vomit)

I keep on trying to convince myself its just training and I'm playing with my own lads but it spills over and i then make mistakes or I am sat there hoping the ball doesn't come anywhere near me for fear of messing up. I go through the motions of making runs and calling for the ball or dragging the guy marking me out on runs to try wear him down but in the end I just hope the ball doesn't come my way

I'm an average player of average ability but i love playing.

Does anyone else get like this?

Any tips on how to combat it?

Thanks in advance. (go gentle lads)

Connorzee

I use music. You'll see a lot of professional sports people do the same. Eg, when you see footballers arriving off a bus they'll have headphones in. I suppose it's down to you then what type of music. Whether it's relaxing music to calm you down or uptempo music to motivate or get you up. For me its motivation but i would presume relaxing music would do the same to calm the nerves.

If you have spotify on your phone you'll find plenty readymade playlists for both.

LMK

I had something similar when I played back in the day.
Each person is different, I found the best solution was to be as prepared as possible by being as fit as possible, I did a lot of core work by myself and that had a positive effect, also just concentrate on being the best you can be on any given day, if you can concentrate on doing the simple things well.
It might be that if you were to talk it out with one of you team mates or a selector the very act of sharing the information will help more than anything else!

racso1975

The Mind is an awful powerful thing and can cause ya to completely doubt yourself!!!!!

Obviously you can look at a sports psychologist, and i know a few people are gonna scoff at that suggestion, but you if you are in your early 20 you have another good 10 years of this ahead of you and trust me you dont want to drop the sport because of it.

I would of been in a similar situation where i played and did the right thing but never tried anything different for "fear" i would mess up and regret that now.

The big thing is the "fear" of what?

Making a tool of yourself? there is no mistake you can do that nobody else has done before ya. ever

Causing the team to lose? Its called a team for a reason if you make a mistake there is 14 other people on the team to help fix it as you would for them

Not good enough? If you were not good enough you would not be picked and you would know this by being constantly on the bench and not getting called.

You have put in the work in training and prob extra at home you are good eenough

Trust me nerves are good if you did not have them i would be more worried your problem is just realising how to harness them.

I presume you are not playing county level etc so remember while it is competitive it is about enjoying. If you aint getting that from it then you need to do something.

HuntingDrog

great post OP

something that always affected me. I was "pysched out" before I got into the car to drive to the game.....edgy, legs felt like I had no power in them....no zip....y'know? i had been "playing the game and how the beat my marker" the few days beforehand to the point, where I was mentally exhausted!!

So I found that the best thing that worked for me is to trust in yourself in the days up to the game and believe that you are good enough. be determined to "show off" - you've put in the hard work in training, so why shouldn't you show off? But show off it in a focused, convincing and determined way (not a flippant or distracted way).
Get your kit-bag ready the night before so you take out the stress of maybe forgetting something on the day when nerves may hit...

On the day, try and distract yourself to think about anything but the game up until 2 hours beforehand. Do anything that works for you. Go work in the garden, spend time with kids, fix something at home, work, read, meditate, sleep etc etc....whatever quietens the brain and your thoughts. Then just get ready to go to the game and just let it happen on the day. Go out and do it and show off. Do your best and what the hell if it doesn't work out? As the lads said above, u can't lose a game singlehandedly.

I wish I had used the above advice earlier in my career but heh, it's something that only experience and wisdom thought me. Hopefully something in what I said will suit u too

Best of luck

BKWDR

Thanks for the reply rasco1975

but you if you are in your early 20 you have another good 10 years of this ahead of you and trust me you dont want to drop the sport because of it.

Im at the other end, which makes it worse, im early 30s, Junior league player.

The big thing is the "fear" of what?

Making a tool of yourself? there is no mistake you can do that nobody else has done before ya. ever
Causing the team to lose? Its called a team for a reason if you make a mistake there is 14 other people on the team to help fix it as you would for them

I honestly don't know. I don't fear training or playing training matches.

The fear of being bested, being beaten, making a show of myself. Being leveled out it by a stronger lad. Being beaten to the ball. I really cant put a finger on it.

You have put in the work in training and prob extra at home you are good eenough

I do work hard at training and do fair bit of fitness myself. I dont have the natural ability the others have, i didnt play all through school and early 20s so i was late to the game.

I presume you are not playing county level etc so remember while it is competitive it is about enjoying. If you aint getting that from it then you need to do something.

That's the thing that keeps me going. I love the team, love the training and everything that goes along with it. If i didn't enjoy all of that, the nerves would have had me long since packed it all in.

BKWDR

Thanks for the reply HuntingDrog

Get your kit-bag ready the night before so you take out the stress of maybe forgetting something on the day when nerves may hit...

I've done this...was a particular problem. I've been so bad i've shown up without boots and all. I wondered did i do it deliberatly. Now i pack my bag in my car the night before.

Do anything that works for you. Go work in the garden, spend time with kids, fix something at home, work, read, meditate, sleep etc etc....

Im defo going to take the advice and try find ways to distract and relax myself. I find that i really switch off in the gym or running. But I can't do these on the same day as a match. I've tried it a couple times. I don't have the legs for it.

malascoile

go to the gym and do a bit of foam rolling and stretching. it wont tire you, if you do it right and it should keep your mind off the match.

I like to do a bit of study. that wouldnt work though if you didnt have exams however..

ultrapercy

Positive reinforcement I think it's called. Concentrate on those things within your control eg diet fitness your match day preparation then avoid negative self talk and think about times you have done well blocking out negatives. It takes some practice and you should see a sports phycologist for a couple of sessions. Good luck sport should be fun but it's no fun to feel the way you do.Also confiding in Team mates may help but choose the ones you confide in wisely.

BKWDR

malascoile wrote: »

go to the gym and do a bit of foam rolling and stretching. it wont tire you, if you do it right and it should keep your mind off the match.

I like to do a bit of study. that wouldnt work though if you didnt have exams however..

Thanks,
A good suggestion re Stretching and Foam rolling. I usually do a bit at home but the gym could be a good distraction.

ultrapercy wrote: »

Positive reinforcement I think it's called. Concentrate on those things within your control eg diet fitness your match day preparation then avoid negative self talk and think about times you have done well blocking out negatives. It takes some practice and you should see a sports phycologist for a couple of sessions. Good luck sport should be fun but it's no fun to feel the way you do.Also confiding in Team mates may help but choose the ones you confide in wisely.

Thanks for the reply. I have talked to two team mates who have been very 'supportive' i suppose. They take the time to talk to me before games , things along the lines of 'you're just the same as the training match the other night' etc or just giving me that bit of confidence boost... 'when you have the ball, who's gonna take it off ya...' etc etc It helps but once the whistle goes i have on occasion tried to hide on the pitch if it gets too much.

dastardly00

Really nice OP

You could try some mindfulness.

From here:

At its simplest, mindfulness means being aware of what you are doing while you are doing it. This means being aware that you are breathing, walking, driving, running making a phone call, cooking a meal and so on. When you have thoughts, notice that you have thoughts and come back to awareness of what you are actually doing. When you are emotional just notice the emotion – not trying to deepen it and not trying to push it away – and come back to awareness of what you are doing.

If you search Youtube, you will find tonnes of audio tracks. They normally are only around 10 minutes long so you could listen to one on the morning before the match, and the night before (or every night if you like it).

I get very similar thoughts/feelings/anxiety before playing sport as you do. And I find no matter what, I can't distract myself enough to get rid of the nerves or push them away to one side. Mindfulness teaches you to accept the thoughts and emotions that are buzzing around inside your head. I find it very good.

Give it a quick google and listen to some of the audio tracks. They shouldn't be too weird or hippy-ish or anything like that. A good way to try it is to download an app called Headspace for your phone. The first 10 lessons are free so you can easily give it a go.

Good luck OP.

BKWDR

dastardly00 wrote: »

Really nice OP

You could try some mindfulness.

From here:



If you search Youtube, you will find tonnes of audio tracks. They normally are only around 10 minutes long so you could listen to one on the morning before the match, and the night before (or every night if you like it).

I get very similar thoughts/feelings/anxiety before playing sport as you do. And I find no matter what, I can't distract myself enough to get rid of the nerves or push them away to one side. Mindfulness teaches you to accept the thoughts and emotions that are buzzing around inside your head. I find it very good.

Give it a quick google and listen to some of the audio tracks. They shouldn't be too weird or hippy-ish or anything like that. A good way to try it is to download an app called Headspace for your phone. The first 10 lessons are free so you can easily give it a go.

Good luck OP.

Thank you , had a look at headspace and am willing to give that a shot.

SeaFields

My two cents. I would be the same and the nerves don't settle until throw in and probably don't go completely until I touch the ball. (I'm assuming it affects everyone to some degree at all levels?!) The advice above that one man never lost a game by himself is great advice. I'm going to take that on board myself.


I found having company in the car on the way helps a lot. Chatting on the way to the game certainly takes the mind off things if that is an option for you.

dastardly00

SeaFields wrote: »

My two cents. I would be the same and the nerves don't settle until throw in and probably don't go completely until I touch the ball. (I'm assuming it affects everyone to some degree at all levels?!)

Ronan O'Gara has talked before about how he used to vomit frequently in the days leading up to a big game. All because of nerves. So that shows it can happen at the highest level of a professional sport, and to one of the top players in that particular sport.

Kerrydude1981

ultrapercy wrote: »

Positive reinforcement I think it's called. Concentrate on those things within your control eg diet fitness your match day preparation then avoid negative self talk and think about times you have done well blocking out negatives. It takes some practice and you should see a sports phycologist for a couple of sessions. Good luck sport should be fun but it's no fun to feel the way you do.Also confiding in Team mates may help but choose the ones you confide in wisely.

Spot on,if you keep letting negative thoughts creep in then you are on a loser before you go out on the field,keep thinking positive.

If your head is right taking the field then everything else will take care of itself.

Flincher

This is just my perspective coming from a different sport. I haven't played GAA in years - always better at soccer.

I'm a keeper, and I'd have been crippled by nerves before games. My big fear was that I'd drop the first cross / long ball that came into the box. I'd be even more anxious if I didn't get a touch early on.

My approach which seems to be working is to have a football in my hands as often as possible in the hours before a game. Even if it's just bouncing a ball off a wall and catching it outside the dressing rooms, or playing a bit of basketball myself outside the house during the day. The theory being that I would completely confident in my handling because I'd have been throwing and catching balls all morning, and there wasn't a fear of being caught cold by the first ball coming into the box. I found it cut down on dropped balls in the warm-up - I'd then be able to take more confidence from the warm-up and carry that into the game.

Maybe you could try something similar - get comfortable with your handling / touches throughout the day and you might feel more confident of winning your first ball and hopefully take it from there.

There's plenty of great advice in early posts, but sure that's another suggestion.