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Twenty
Things You Can Do For Better Competitive Results
Right
Now
1. Plan from the event date(s) back to the present and account
for: training days; training volume and intensity; rest days;
peaking period; meet simulation training with audio tape;
exercise volume, intensity, peaking and tapering; and specific
day-to-day training schedule while at the trials.
2. Do
your heavy, intense training early (with mini-tapers for competitions),
so as you approach the event you feel prepared. Your training
should make you feel that you have worked hard enough that
you deserve to win.
3. From
the meet simulation training, do the following:determine technical
areas to be emphasized, establish point goals (best list and
compilation of best dive totals), analyze previous event results
and determine where your point goals will allow you to finish,
believe it.
4. Use
your best ever tape daily.
5. Visualize
yourself at the facility, doing your best dives and achieving
your goal in the event. Make this as real as possible. Having
been to the facility before can be a great benefit in this
process.
As
You Get Closer to the Competition
6. Think about every possible scenario that could happen to
distract or upset you, both in and out of competition and
the pool. Play it out and determine what the correct response
would be to each situation. Program it in your memory and
be prepared to react that way in the event these things happen.
Review this process frequently.
7. Spend
time putting the competition into a healthy perspective. It
is not a life or death situation. You will survive and go
on, no matter what, so don't build the event up in your mind.
8. Watch
some inspirational movies.
When
You Get to the Competition Site
9. Do not try to train extra hard to improve at the last minute.
10. Do
not make any last minute major changes.
11. Remember
you are there to get comfortable with the facility (springboards,
platform, lighting, etc.) to keep yourself feeling good physically
and mentally.
12. Follow
your pre-planned preparation schedule, but be flexible.
13. If
you have a bad practice, do not take this as an indication
that you are not ready. Your preparation plan and training
will allow you to do well in the competition.
14. Continue
to use your best ever tape daily.
15. Continue
to visualize the event unfolding, dive by dive, as you want
it to happen.
On
Competition Day
16. Plan your day carefully so you have plenty of time to
get from one place to another. Avoid having to rush. Follow
the guideline "walk slow and talk slow." Keeping
your pace controlled will help put your anxiety level right
where you want it.
17. Do
not try too hard to dive well in the warm-ups. These are merely
to get your body physically ready. A bad or average warm-up
can many times result in a great competition.
18. Create
a consistent pattern of what you do and when you do it as
you move to the springboard or platform area. This will help
create a rhythm to your performance.
19. Keep
the same timing of how long you wait before stating each dive.
This continues the rhythm and helps keep all dives the same
in importance, regardless of the circumstances.
20. Determine
ahead of time a strategy for whether you will or will not
watch other divers and keep track of scores and places. This
should be based on your history of how you compete best. Once
the strategy is in place, stick with it!
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