Qualifiers can be a stressful experience for athletes. The online leaderboard and the doubt created by not seeing other athletes perform all make for potentially neurotic self-comparison.
With quarter-finals being much easier to qualify for, the open has less weight than in previous years. And now you're starting to see athletes say they are not interested in peaking for the open, who then get upset when they perform not to where they expected.
Managing the psychology and framing expectations for athletes is very important. Because letting emotions spiral out of control and overreacting can be a big disservice to your performance in the later stages of the season.
This week, we discuss all things disappointment in qualifiers and specifically the open. We also touch on the importance of enjoyment in training and why in-person competitions are the way to go.
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We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops
These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well.
Show Notes:
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[1:00] Why can athletes get too caught up in qualifiers
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[3:00] Self comparison spiralling out of control
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[4:15] The variance in the tests have a significant impact
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[6:30] Doing the open when you're not peaked yet
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[8:00] Getting carried away with competition when you don't need to
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[9:30] Training during the open for an athlete focused on quarter finals
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[11:00] Framing what a good performances are for the athlete
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[15:30] Being objective with the leaderboard
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[17:00] Enjoying your training and doing in person competitions
