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Coach Education Series Copyright ITF 2009

EMOTIONAL CONTROL

FOR HIGH PERFORMANCEPLAYERS -

INTRODUCTION

ITF CoachesEducation Programme

Coaching High Performance Players Course

By Miguel Crespo & Machar Reid

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In this session we will

Explain the definition of arousal, anxietyand stress as they relate to tennis

Understand the importance of

effectively dealing with these for highperformance

Provide guidelines on how identify the

causes of both mental and physicalstress in tennis

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Introduction

Control of the emotional aspects duringtennis play is of paramount importance bothfor high performance and enjoyment of thegame.

Several terms that are related tomaintaining an emotional equilibrium suchas:

arousal anxiety

stress.

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Arousal/Activation: Definition

State of the organism that variesin a continuum from the sleep

to the intense excitation

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Degrees

High----> Over-excitation

Medium--> Ideal State

Low--> Apathy

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Arousal Level is IndividualWeinberg (2002)

PERFOR

MANCE

AROUSAL

Low

Low

Moderate

Moderate

High

HighPlayer A Player B Player C

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Control of the activation:Importance

Players should achieve maximumperformance

Players should be physically and

mentally activated

Each player has to try to find his own

optimal state of activation to perform at100%

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Psychological skills in tennis:Arousal control

Skill that enables a player to find theright balance of relaxation, calmness,and intensity within the stressful

environment of competition.

against their biological fight-or flight

alarm response

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Typical Signs of Over-Arousal

Muscles become too tightand rigid.

Fast heart rate, shallow andirregular breathing, highblood pressure.

Difficulty in concentrationand focusing (Everythingappears to be going toofast).

Inability to think clearly andaccurately.

Attention gests fixed on onething and cant seem torefocus e.g. bad line call,personality of opponent,interfering noises, etc.

Feeling of high anxietyand/or fear.

Become fatigued veryquickly.

Become increasinglynegative and self-critical.

Decreasing emotionalcontrol.

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Activation:Over-excitation State

Physical: Increase of hear rate, sweat,fatigue, rigidness, short breath, lack ofcoordination

Mental: Nervousness, fear, lack of

concentration, tank.

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Activation:Optimal Activation State

Physically: Lots of control, mental andemotional harmony

Mental: Self-confidence, optimism,

concentration, easiness, amnesia,

tolerance to pain, motivation, joy

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Optimal Activation State andPerformance Inverted U

Levelofperformance

Level of Arousal

+

+

-

-

Ideal

PerformanceState

Underarousal

Overarousal

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Typical Signs of Under-Arousal

Feeling as if you just donthave much energy or fire.

Feeling of being slow like acold starting engine.

Poor concentration easilydistracted by almostanything.

Low patience and dontreally care feeling.

Noticeable absence oftension or anxiety.

Poor sense of timing oranticipation frequently late

timing.

Athlete often gives theappearance of being bored

and lazy.

Often accompanied by asense of helplessness(nothing I do works).

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Activation: Apathy State

Physical: Heaviness, player is slow,bad perception, lack of coordination

Mental: Bad temper, aversion to play,

lack of enthusiasm, poor anticipation,

mental apathy.

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Anxiety: Definition

Negative emotional state; a form of arousal triggeredby fear or perception of danger.

Components:

cognitive anxiety (worry, nervousness)

somatic anxiety (degree of perceived physical activation).

state anxiety: a temporary change in mood state andfeelings of tension,

trait anxiety: a personality characteristic leading to theobjective perception of non-dangerous circumstances asthreatening thereby resulting in disproportionate stateanxiety responses

(Spielberger, 1966)

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Stress

Lots of players dont play up to theirpotential. Why?

One reason is that they succumb to pressure

If you dont learn to respond to it, youllnever reach your full potential.

Be aware of the pressure points in tennis

Have a plan to handle that pressure

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Stress: Definition

Imbalance between demand and responsecapability.

Process or sequence of events that starts with thepresentation of psychological and/or physical

demands The demands are then perceived as threatening,

producing a physical and psychological reaction.

If this reaction triggers a poor performance or

outcome, it will become an additional demand, andthe cycle of heightening stress and poorperformance would engulf the player.

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Stress: Sources

Situational: degree of event importance (e.g. the moreimportant the event, the more stress provoked)

uncertainty of the situation (e.g. the greater the

uncertainty, the greater the stress). Personal:

trait anxiety

self-esteem. High trait anxiety and low self-esteem are

associated to more extreme state anxietyreactions (Perry and Williams, 1998).

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Physical stress can be caused by :

Playing in long matches Playing in poor weather conditions (windy,

rainy, cold, hot)

Playing on poor courts (cracked surfaces,etc.)

Not being able to relax between shots

Attempting to master shots that call forprecision; tennis is a game of highly-tunedskills

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Mental stress can be caused by :

A lack of confidence due to inadequate training

Inability to be coached during a match; theyre on their own Fear of failure (especially as related to self-worth issues) Inability to keep the game in perspective Focusing on things you cant control, such as an umpires

decision Focusing on the outcome rather than your performance Beating yourself over the head for making mistakes, rather than

learning from them Using negative self-talk

Envisioning yourself performing poorly Not shutting out outside distractions

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Pressure

Pressure is a term often used when coachesand players are asked to define stress.

All players feel it, lots fear it, and some try toignore it.

For a players potential to be fulfilled, a planfor pressure management is essential (Gould,1997).

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Pressure

Doesnt automatically cause poor performance

Its our interpretation of the pressure that causes toeither: be excited and challenged by it, and thus more likely to

respond positively, or

to be nervous and anxious about it, and respond negatively.

Players need specific techniques to handle thosesituations that can make or break your game.

MISTAKE MANAGEMENT!!

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The question isnt whether youchoke or not, but how- when you

choke - you are going to handle it.. . Part of being a champion is

being able to cope with [choking]better than everyone else.

John McEnroe

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CONTROLFactors

Can control Your mental state

How you feel

Your response tosituations

Your intensity level

Your thoughts

How you act

Your confidence

Cannot control The weather

Your parents (coachs)actions

Your opponents actions

A string breaking

Court surface

Opponents line calls

Your tournament draw

Weinberg (2002)

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Emotional responses in a match

This is how the champions play!!Comment

Optimal activation state.Mentally

Ready for the match.PhysicallyFight

Fear is good because it means that the player is fighting and cares.Comment

May be tentative, indecisive, try to avoid responsibility.Mentally

Suffocation, paralysis or everything happens at 100 miles per hour.Physically

Fear

It is difficult to play like that!Comment

Blocked due to pent up frustration with oneself, the opponent,the umpire, the crowd, etc.

Mentally

Physical violence (racquet abuse) and Verbal violence (insults).Physically

Anger

Is it worth playing like this?Comment

Switches off, does not try, seeks excuses, complains

continuously, thinks he is better than the other player.

Mentally

Hands, arms, head and racquet low; feeling of heaviness.Physically

Tank

CharacteristicsAspectsEmotionalresponse

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Reactions in between points

Exploding Holding it

Rushing

Not thinking

Catastrophizing

Wandering

Sleeping

Or a combination of all

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The Process of Choking

Performance Impairment

1. Rushing shots

2. Timing and coordinationbreakdown

3. Attending to irrelevant cues

4. Muscle tightness andsoreness

Attentionalchanges

1. Internal focus

2. Narrow focus3. Reduced

flexibility

Physical changes

1. Increased muscletension

2. Increasing breathingrate

3. Racing heart rate

Conditions leading to choking

1. Big match

2. Critical points

3. Evaluation by coaches,peers and parents

(Weinberg, 2002)

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Feelings associated withaltered states

Nideffer (1992)

Beaten

Scared

Weak

Dominated

Upset

Panicked

Worried

Rushed

Confused

Overloaded

Controlled

Confident

Powerful

Commanding

Calm

Tranquil

Peaceful

Easy

Clear

Focused

Tight

Tense

Shaky

Unsteady

Weak

Heavy

Tired

Hard

Choppy

Awkward

Loose

Relaxed

Solid

Balanced

Strong

Ligth

Energetic

Effortless

Fluid

Smooth

ChokingThe zoneChokingThe zone

FeelingsPsychologicalFeelingsPhysical

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