Okay! No more heebie jeebies.
When we were preparing at practice for our first game tomorrow, that's what we all acted like while playing.....which is ridiculous because we were doing pretty much exactly what we have been doing at practice for at least the past month!
Nerves can REALLY turn your rugby world upside down. It can be a realllll rugby buzz kill if you let them take over. But sometimes it may seem so freakin' hard to control them - even just sitting here typing this I've got sparks running through me and my heart is pumping like the commuter rail because I'm so excited for the game tomorrow!
....and THAT'S OKAY.
It's NORMAL to be nervous on a rugby field, because there's so much going on around you and there's no other time where you have to make that much decision making that quickly unless you happen to be performing heart surgery. So now that you can give yourself a soothing pat on the back for realizing you're normal for being nervous, the real question is:
HOW DO YOU CONTROL IT?How do you slow yourself down in the midst of a high pressure/tempo environment? I believe that all of the best players you see on tv or even on your own respectable team have figured out some sort of technique in their own way to handle this above anything else. Above learning how to pass, tackle, ruck, kick, tie their cleats, breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide....I think great rugby players have learned how to literally "keep calm and carry on" in the middle of chaos. They have learned how to sit with being nervous and cultivate it into an advantage.
SELF TALK PEOPLE....IT WORKS WONDERS. IT'S NOT JUST A COUNSELING TECHNIQUE. The more you immerse yourself in this chaotic environment the more comfortable you will become in it. So if you are a new player - PATIENCE, grasshopper. Just drink it in while you're on the field and learn via experience. YES - YOU'RE GOING TO FUCK UP. But we all are going to fuck up, that's part of the game.
If you've been playing for a while and still find yourself nervous before a game or even when you're about to step onto the field: draw on previous experiences. Try your best to think rationally - what about the last game you played in made you really nervous? What could've gone differently for you to react better? What will you do this time when you encounter THE SAME SITUATION (your rugby fears ain't goin' nowhere! so conquer them meow!!) in this game?! What can you sincerely be proud of yourself for and what have you done really well to contribute to the team's success in the past?
...that last one is a biggie - you need to ALWAYS remember that you are capable of wondrous things. You may remember a lot of things you have done wrong or can still do better, but there is always SOMETHING that you have done right.....even if it's just showing up to practice or cheering on a teammate. Every-little-thing-counts.
And forget about whatever trust issues you may have in your life - whether it's in a relationship with a person or with what's in your Wonder Ball - because in the end no matter what your teammates are there to support you and you're all working towards the same common goal. There may even be some players that you don't like, or some players that seem like a showboat that want to always be in the spotlight, but in the end NO ONE GETS ANYWHERE WITHOUT WORKING WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM.
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