4 Mistakes To Avoid Before Your Next Competition

I get asked a lot about how to remain calm during competition day.
The funny thing is, we all love being on the mat, but when it comes to a competition mindset we feel different, and we shouldn’t.
Whether it’s your goal competition or just another tournament on your path to your goal, here are a few tips that could help you to be mentally prepared to fight your best

1. Don’t give to much attention to the brackets
   A mistake that I see a lot of competitors do. In big competition the brackets alone can look intimidating. But you have to stay calm and don’t give to much attention to what the other look or do. All you need to know is when and where you need to fight. Your opponent name or record doesn’t matter. It’s only a distraction.
2. Stay focused! do you warm up properly.
   Not all competition are the same. Some of them have a proper warm up area and some don’t. either way have a pre-planned workout routine (or check one of my routine at the website) to have for competition day.
   If you need to , go to the competition early, take your time be ready physically and mentally before your fight. Have you songs ready and know exactly what to do.
   Not all athletes are the same, some prefer to do some stretching and other prefer to do a light rolling as a warm up. Either way, find what get you in the zone to calm your nerves.
3. Stay away from negative people
   Remember you goal – you are there to get 1st place!
   Avoid getting caught up in other people fears and negative thoughts.
   Our closest friends and family sometimes doesn’t aware that their good will to help is actually more of a distraction. So if you need, politely tell them that you need you time or space. They will understand that.
4. Don’t make it a monster
   I saved the best for last.
   It’s easier to say then do.
   Any competition, big or small is still a fight.
   If we come to think about it – we all train harder doing more rounds, pushing ourselves more during the training.
   So we have to not let the notoriety of the competition lead to you feeling like you are not good enough. Whenever you hear that voice inside your head just tell it to shout up.
   You are a competitor
   And you are here to compete
   It’s that simple.
   Approach it the same way you would any other fight.