Maintain Confidence during a Performance Drought
A drought or a slump… that is the question.
The distinction between these two terms will determine how quickly you break through when you are not having your best athletic performances.
When athletes label a couple of bad performances as a “slump,” they imply that it as a long-lasting problem.
These athletes enter a competition with the mindset of “being in a slump” and expect to have another bad performance…
And what happens? They perform poorly AGAIN! It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and it feels like there is no end in sight.
A performance drought has a different feel.
Think of it terms of the weather, a drought indicates a brief period of time.
When there is a lack of rain, no one expects it to last forever. Everyone knows, after a little bit of time, the weather will change.
A performance drought is similar in sports.
Athletes who are see themselves as experiencing a performance drought know things will turn around. These athletes enter competition with the mindset, “This may be the competition that I turn my game around.”
These athletes look for ways to improve their game instead of feeling bad for themselves or frustrated that they are not performing to their personal standards.
Purdue university guard Carsen Edwards has experienced a bit of a drought heading into the March Madness. Prior to the second round game against Villanova, Edwards shot 24-for-89 from the field and 11-for-45 from the three-point range during his previous four games.
In the game against Vilanova, Edwards scored a career-high 42 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including nine three-pointers leading Purdue to a 87-61 victory over defending national champion Villanova.
If you asked Edwards, he would have told you that he was a little annoyed with everyone talking about him being in a slump.
EDWARDS: “If we’re being really honest, I’m very tired of it. But I understand. I just have to keep working even after being able to have a game like this. I still have to stay in the gym, continue to work, and continue to prepare for the next game. I’m really tired of it. But I’m thankful to be able to have some shots fall for me today.”
Edwards never felt sorry for himself, nor did he think his drought would last forever.
Edward just stayed focused on his game, worked hard in practice, prepared to the best on his abilities and just looked for ways to help his team win basketball games.
Just because you are not on top of your game for a few competitions doesn’t mean it will last forever. Each competition is a new opportunity to get back on track and potentially have a career best performance… with the right mindset!
Busting Out of a Performance Drought:
See it for what it is… a couple of bad games or competitions. Don’t generalize based on one or two games. You can’t perform in the zone every day.
Look for fortunate breaks instead of dwelling on bad breaks or bad calls.
Remind yourself that you can still contribute to the team performance in other ways by playing good defense or supporting your teammates.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Your Mental Game and Performance Slumps
- 2 Mental Game Tips To Break Free Of A Slump
- Break Slumps: How to Get Past a Performance Slump
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