Lacrosse Goalie Tips for Dealing with the Pregame Jitters
We all know the feeling.
You’re hanging out with your teammates waiting to take the field before a big game and the butterflies are dancing in your stomach.
Your palms are sweaty. Your heart is beating fast.
You’re nervous.
It’s a classic case of the pregame jitters and in this post I’m going to share some tips to deal with those pregame feelings of anxiety.
As we’ll learn in this post, “deal with” probably isn’t even the best way to describe it because that is a feeling you actually want.
What are Pregame Jitters?
Human beings are mammals. And anytime a mammal enters a high-pressure situation, the same thing happens every time.
The body triggers the “fight or flight” response.
Your brain is getting you ready to handle this high pressure environment by releasing adrenaline, increasing your heart rate, and preparing your body to react quickly.
While those attributes, in particular that last one, may sound great, this surge of energy often manifests as jitters, shaky hands, or that feeling of butterflies in your stomach.
These feelings are a normal physiological and psychological response to the pressure of performing in the big game and the anticipation of the upcoming event.
When you’re experiencing pregame jitters (especially hard!) they can be very unsettling, causing you to ask questions like: how can I “get rid” of my pregame jitters?
But the truth is, pre-game jitters aren’t harmful and in fact, they are something we want.
If you didn’t get pre-game jitters, that tells me the game isn’t meaningful for you.
I remember playing summer pickup lacrosse, and not experiencing any pregame nervousness or jitters, because guess what? Those games didn’t matter at all.
And if you didn’t get the pregame jitters, your body wouldn’t be prepared to play its best once the game starts.
Those pregame jitters actually give you improved focus, faster reaction time, and better physical output so the real question perhaps is:
How do I manage these jitters so they don’t interfere with performance, turning them into a motivating force instead of a distraction?
Develop a Pre-Game Routine
Every goalie needs to develop a very detailed pre-game routine.
A great pre-game routine allows goalies to enter the game mentally focused, physically prepared, and emotionally calm, all qualities we need to help in our high-stakes position.
Instead of worrying about a million things, focus on executing your pre-game routine. The steps are already laid out for you, just execute.
Every goalie’s pre-game routine will probably differ in some way. Anderson Moore likes to get in the weight room and power clean pre-game. Scott Bacigalupo wanted 40 minutes of shots before a game.
The key is finding out what best prepares you mentally and physically for a game, while at the same time managing those pre-game jitters.
A simple pre-game routine might look something like this:
- Arrive 2 hours pre-game
- Jump Rope – 10 min
- Hand / Eye Exercises – 10 min
- Visualization and Breathing Exercise – 10 min
- Get equipment on – 20 min
- Team activities – 20 min
- Stretching – 20 min
- Warmup Shots – 20 min
- Water and Rest – 10 min
- Dominate Game!
Experiment with different elements in your pre-game routine and let me know what works best for you below in the comments.
Incorporate Relaxation Techniques
Some goalies have told me the pre-game jitters attack them so hard it borders on anxiety.
There are some simple relaxation techniques that you should learn to help calm the nerves and lower the heart rate when things get too intense.
Box Breathing
A simple breathing exercise that is used by Atlas goalie Liam Entenmann is called box breathing.
It’s very simple:
- Inhale for a count 4 seconds
- Hold for a count of 4 seconds
- Exhale for a count of 4 seconds
- Hold for a count of 4 seconds
- Repeat
When a goalie learns to take slow, deep breaths (like those in box breathing) you will relax your body and mind.
There are other breathing methods but I’ve found this one to be the most simple and easy to follow to get the job done.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This technique involves tensing and then relaxing muscle groups to reduce physical tension that may have built up in your body.
This technique helps goalies become aware of where they’re holding stress in their body.
Start at your toes and work your way up, tensing and then relaxing each muscle group.
Toes, calves, thighs, glutes, abs, chest, arms, neck.
Focus on the contrast between tension and relaxation to relieve pre-game tightness.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
Sometimes when we start to feel anxiety from our pre-game jitters, we need to activate our logical brain.
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is a great way to do that and can leave you feeling less stressed after execution.
With this technique I’m going to name:
- 5 things I can see
- 4 things I can touch
- 3 things I can hear
- 2 things I can smell
- 1 thing I can taste
You can say them out loud or in your head but the important piece to remember is by doing this we’re activating the logical part of our brain.
You can also use this during the game when the ball is on the other end of the field.
Simple relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, can calm nerves and lower heart rate. Teach them to take slow, deep breaths to relax their body and mind when they start feeling anxious.
Practice Visualization
Visualization is a powerful tool for all athletes to help prepare for games.
There’s a story about a soldier captured during the Vietnam war. He was held captive for years in a dark, tiny cell and had to find a way to entertain his mind to keep from going nuts during the isolation.
Every day he imagined himself playing golf on his favorite golf course. He felt the wind on his face, he smelled the freshly cut grass, he envisioned himself lacing his driver right down the fairway.
After his eventual release some 7 years later he went to play that very course he had played so many times in his mind. Malnourished beyond belief and having not touched a golf club in years, he shot a 74.
More than 20 strokes better than his average!
The power of visualization is real. Reps in your mind are in some ways just as good as reps during practice.
So imagine success as a lacrosse goalie.
Picture yourself making that save. Staying calm under pressure. Reacting to all sorts of chaos and crazy situations that may arise.
Mentally rehearse key plays, positioning, saves, and clearing the ball. Focus on the feeling of confidence and control.
You’ll likely find that not only does your pre-game anxiety get reduced, your performance in the net improves as well.
An Attitude of Gratitude
During a question and answer with Northwestern national champion Molly Laliberty during the Lacrosse Goalie Summit 10, a young goalie specifically asked her how she dealt with the pressure of a national championship game.
Her answer was simple: gratitude.
“I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to be on the field,” she said.
Having this perspective can really change your mindset. There are a lot of kids in horrible situations around the world and here we are getting to play this beautiful game with our friends.
Feel the gratitude for that.
When you feel gratitude, your perspective changes and all of sudden those pre-game jitters don’t seem as bad.
Gratitude helps us goalies focus on what we appreciate rather than the pressure to perform.
By reflecting on the opportunity to play, the support they’ve received, the beauty of lacrosse, and the joy of being a goalie, we can shift their mindset from anxiety about the outcome to appreciation for the experience.
This positive shift reduces stress and nervousness. Plus it makes you feel good and when you feel good, you play good!
Mental Reframe
When you get nervous for a big game you may experience some of the following symptoms:
- Increased Heart Rate
- Butterflies in the Stomach
- Sweating
- Shaking or Trembling
- Heightened Alertness
- Shortness of Breath
But guess what? When your body get excited for something, that list of symptoms is identical.
While the physical symptoms may be the same, the emotional context is different.
With nervousness, you’re typically feeling fear, anxiety or apprehension for the upcoming game.
With excitement, you’re feeling anticipation or joy for the upcoming opportunity.
So next time you start to feel those symptoms, don’t tell yourself that you’re nervous. Remind yourself you’re just excited!
That little mental reframe can help calm anxiety and give you feelings of joy.
Positive Self-Talk
One of the things I learned during Dr. T’s presentation at the Lacrosse Goalie Summit 8 is this concept of a cognitive triangle.
You have thoughts, behaviors and feeling (emotions) on the points of a triangle and they all control and influence one another (notice the 2 sided arrows).
Meaning your thoughts control your feelings. But your feelings can also control your thoughts.
Your thoughts control how you act (behavior) and vice versa.
Dr. T said the easiest way to hijack this triangle is through your thoughts. And this is your self-talk.
Using positive affirmations can help goalies counter negative thoughts and build confidence.
Shea Dolce, national champ for Boston College, writes “YAP” on her wrist and repeats the mantra during pregame: You Are Prepared.
Other positive phrases like: “I’ve got this,” or “I trust my instincts” or “I’m a great goalie” can be repeated silently or out loud to reinforce a positive mindset and help goalies shift from self-doubt to self-assurance.
One caveat – sometimes pre-game your feelings/emotions are firing hard! And since feelings control thoughts – you might not believe your positive affirmation in that very moment.
That is why its so crucial to use these positive affirmation ALL THE TIME! Not just in those pre-game moments.
Another lesson related to self-talk is: trust your training.
You’ve seen thousands of shots, you’ve practiced thousands of hours, you’ve made all the saves. Trust your training! Go out there and have fun.
Conclusion
In this post we explored the phenomenon all goalies will experience called pre-game jitters.
Many goalies ask themselves how do I “deal” with pre-game jitters but they’re actually something we want because it shows you care about the game and it shows your body is prepping you to perform your best.
If the pre-game jitters get the level of anxiety then there are several methods to help with that including:
- A pre-game routine
- Relaxation techniques
- Visualization Exercises
- An Attitude of Gratitude
- Positive Self-Talk
I strongly believe if you incorporate these routines, exercises and practices into your game not only will your pregame jitters be under control, you’ll perform better.
Until next time, Coach Damon
P.S. – What techniques do you use to keep those pregame jitters from spiraling into pregame anxiety? Have you tried any of these techniques mentioned in the post? Leave me a comment below.
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