We can probably all think of a situation when we got angry or frustrated because things didn’t turn out the way we wanted them to. Whether it’s being unable to find your keys when you are running late or you forget to pick up your lunch on the way out. In sport, when things don’t go to plan, it can feel like a catastrophe!
Remember how it felt when you first started playing your sport? You couldn’t wait to get to training, to learn new skills, to be inspired by others around you. As you developed and progressed, you may have felt a sense of joy from your achievements. But what happens when you start to get out of your depth? When it feels like you have to work so much harder to get to the top level of your game? When there are more competing demands to battle with…?
It starts with getting annoyed by the small mistakes we make - “why couldn’t I get that shot off?” “how did I miss that one?” As the frustration builds, we feel more tense and continue to make mistakes “I’m useless.” Over time, the build up of annoyance, frustration, irritability leads to anger and we lose our love for the game. We don’t understand what’s changed, we don’t know where this has all come from, and we don’t know what to do about it. We lose the drive we once had to persevere. We forget that it takes hard work to achieve our goals and we lose hope for our future in sport.
It doesn’t have to end up this way.
If you notice that you are getting more annoyed and frustrated with yourself and others, that you no longer enjoy your sport like you used to, or you don’t get excited in the same way, keep reading on.
Anger, frustration, annoyance – these are all perfectly normal human emotions. All emotions send us a message. In this case, the message is that something is hindering us from getting what we want. So next time you feel annoyed about something in your sport, try and understand what is blocking your goal. The next step is to work out what you need to do to move closer to your goal. Identify what skills and support you need and how you can go about getting this. Finally, acknowledge that progress takes time, patience and effort. Reflecting on your journey will help you understand how you can develop and improve.
Mistakes in sport are inevitable. Our mistakes do NOT define us, nor do our achievements. Remind yourself why you started your sport and what you love about playing and competing. You will find much more enjoyment in your sport when you start to recognise how far you have come, the progress you have made, and the skills you developed along the way. This is far more rewarding than any trophy or medal.
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