In my last blog post I spoke about my philosophy on dealing with nerves and butterflies, which is closely related to pressure (Read it HERE). Before I get into my philosophy on pressure, let's take a close look at one definition of pressure:
Pressure: " A burdensome condition that is hard to bear."
Ouch. That's uncomfortable just in definition alone. None of us want burdens that are hard to bear. But, that's what pressure is and it's not enjoyable.
Since I coach and also think of myself as an athlete, I will talk about pressure using sports as our prime example.
I am a coaches son, so I know a thing or two about pressure. My dad is not just any coach either, he is a coach that has been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Needless to say, I had a few expectations hanging on me every time I walked onto a wrestling mat.
Hey, at least I'm not James, Jesus brother. Can you imagine the pressure James felt at a wedding when Jesus wasn't around and the wine ran out? I wonder if his Mom (Mary) was ever like "James, why can't you be more like your brother Jesus?" (Thank You +Michael Jr. for the material!)
Sorry, I got off track there, back to pressure in sports. Being a coaches son was awesome, but it also brought added pressure (at least in my mind). Really though, all athletes feel pressure when they compete. Wrestling especially brings pressure as it is one on one, under the lights, no place to hide and no one to blame anything on. It's all you out there and that can add a little stress to ones day.
So, how does one deal with pressure in wrestling? How does one deal with pressure in any sport? Good question and I hope that some of the following information will help enlighten you and change your perspective on pressure (or at least add to it).
Growing up I attended a lot of football and wrestling practices. Not just the ones I was involved in, but all the practices my dad was running for his teams. This means I got to hear and see a lot of good coaching for a number of years. It never failed that my dad would give his teams the following illustration at least one time per season, sometimes more if needed.
My dad would always say "How many of you guys have played backyard football and made incredible plays? I mean laying out for a catch and palming it with one hand or running and juking the other guy out of his socks!"
Most of the guys on the team would raise their hand and smiles would embrace their faces. Then my dad would ask "Why is it that you can make these incredible plays in backyard football?"
Silence (crickets chirping)....
"I'll tell you why, because you are relaxed. You are out there having fun and there is no pressure. Since there is no pressure, you open up and really use your athletic ability."
"Now, what if you always played like that? I mean you relaxed, had fun, and really used your athletic ability on Friday night? How good could you be?"
Whew, deep! I mean really think about this and how much truth it contains. This illustration doesn't just apply to football either. I see wrestlers look like a million bucks in practice all the time. They open up, have fun, hit sweet moves, and wrestle awesome! Then they get in a match and the pressure gets to them and they are not so awesome.
What's the point here? Athletes must learn how to control their "Warrior State" when going into competition. In that state they are faster, stronger, and smarter. But, they must also stay relaxed and have fun. In essence...Play backyard football in super speed!
Here is another thought on pressure that two incredible programs use with their athletes... Have Fun and Keep it Playful! Cael Sanderson and his National Champion Penn State wrestling team use this philosophy in their room. Cael knows a lot about pressure as he is the only NCAA D1 wrestler to ever finish his college career undefeated (that has to be some pressure). He teaches his wrestlers to have fun, keep it playful, and be creative when wrestling. He says that's the best way to handle pressure on the mats.
The other major program that uses the philosophy of Keep it Playful is the Gracie Academy! The Gracie's are the best Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and instructors in the world. These guys can Take Care of Business in competition, business, and life. But, they always try to keep it playful knowing this eliminates pressure and allows for great performances.
One more thought on dealing with pressure, especially in sports, is this: There is no Pressure! Yep, you heard me right, there is no pressure. This line of thought came from listening to 4 x NCAA Champion Kyle Dake in an interview. He was talking about how he dealt with pressure as an elite college athlete and now as a Team USA Wrestling star. His philosophy, when added to my own, led me to this thought for athletes... At the end of the day, win or lose, your mom and dad will still love you. Your coaches will still be your coaches and care about you. You will still show up on Monday and work your tail off to achieve your goals. So really, there is no pressure.
What does exist is the hard to bear burden that you place upon yourself because of the wrong perspective. We give this mental burden you place upon yourself a name... Pressure.
Now I want you to think about the sports examples listed above and apply them to your everyday life. Where are the areas you feel pressure? Work, your marriage, raising children, etc. Now what if you applied some of the information presented in this blog post to your own life? How would it help you deal with the burden you are bearing today?
What if you relax, have fun, and really use your God given abilities? What if you Take Care of Business, but keep it playful in the midst of the process. How would it change your outlook if you realized that whether it's a good day or bad day, your wife, children, and family will still love you?
Life has plenty of ups and downs and obstacles are thrown into our pathway. These things can sometimes feel overwhelming and create what seems like a ton of pressure. But, the right perspective can relieve those feelings and help you to see the silver lining. This in turn can help you enjoy life and perform your best in sports, work, at home, etc.
Finally and in my mind most important: Never leave God out of the equation! I've heard my Dad and Coach Jody Thompson say this many times and I believe it 100%. All the other ideas work better when God is sought after first!
Jesus said "My yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light". -Matthew 11:30
God Bless and I hope this helps some of you change your perspective on pressure today!
TCOB,
Coach P
I like the idea of "no pressure" because your right, at the end of the day, you are still you, you have a God and a family that still love you and there's always tomorrow to work hard and improve!
ReplyDeleteYes Mam! When it comes down to it, those are the things that matter.
ReplyDelete