PERFORMANCE VS RESULT SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY

When we prepare a competition, a sports goal, we always associate it with a result.

We want to download times, we want to be better than ... we want to get on the podium. In the end we are establishing an external social comparison, either with other colleagues or with a result. AND We forget the real reasons that led us to start with that sport, What really liked us, what caught our attention, what hooked us ..

We start on the way to restless, of desire, to love, we are no longer worth doing some time, a mark, as soon as we overcome it and pass that momentary euphoria, we want more, and having more we want more, this circle does not have end, it has to do with the mode do, we do, we do and want to do more.

From the psychological point of view we are continuously in the future, and That many times generates anxiety and even makes us retire, we abandon or do not even present ourselves to a competition, we are pressured by the result we are going to do and we forget everything else. The new paradigm called mindfulness, which collects teachings and eastern philosophy, what it teaches us is to be present, to live the present, to enjoy it, without judging it, accepting it as it is.

Currently many Sports psychologists And coaches are already applying the principles of Mindfulness to sport, with very good results, a better management of emotions is achieved, more consciously responds to the unforeseen events and problems of the competition, performance is improved. Focus, The attention in the competition is put at the present time, properly handling negative thoughts, and achieving a sensation of flow (flow), a term that coined the author CSIKSZentmihalyi And that defined it as a state in which the athlete is completely absorbed in an activity for his own pleasure and enjoyment, during which time flies and actions, thoughts and movements follow each other without pause. Everything seems to leave alone, we have a feeling of self -efficacy, that it is our day. The whole being is wrapped in this activity, and the person uses their skills and skills carrying them to the extreme. The person is in Flow when he is completely absorbed by an activity during which he loses the notion of time and experiences enormous satisfaction. And in this activity the athlete is present, there is nothing more than the present moment, the only one that really exists.

We need trainers, physical trainers, Sports psychologists, That they empathize and promote these states will favor our performance, our adherence to training and sports and our levels of satisfaction and happiness, at the same time they will face our goals, challenges, competitions in a healthier, more satisfactory way and will make our levels of our levels of anxiety come down before, during and after the competition.

We will give in the competition, what we have trained, we can never give more of that, and if we manage to handle and manage previous difficulties and during the competition, we can approach our most trained potential, I assure you that we will never give more than trained than what is trained. A coach, a volleyball teacher Jaime Barros, who was lucky enough to have went to three Olympic Games, told us what is not trained does not come out in the competition, the real job must always be done in training, the competition is One day to enjoy and get what we have inside and feel a lot of flow.

Author: Ana Tostado Domingo
Personal superior coach. Sports and physical activity psychologist.
MONITOR OF THE NATIONAL SPORTS AND VALUES PROGRAM "SPORT & TROPS".