Lost confidence

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Sometime between 9:00 am Sunday May 22nd, 2005 and now I've lost my confidence on how to swoop a competition course. For some reason ever since my crash on the first jump of our CPC meet last weekend I've forgotten how to run the gates (even though I've done them several hundred times). I tried to get back on the horse earlier today, but I verted the gates and was immediately reminded by people at the DZ that I missed the gates. Now I was super tired today and still in pain from Sunday's crash, but I was hoping that getting back in the air would easier.

So if anyone out there happens to find my confidence lying in the dirt, please pick it up, brush it off and return it to me. I really don't know what to do without it.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[teamhypoxia 0]

I'll come out there with ya tomorrow. If you go first, so you get to watch me, that should be a real confidence booster right there.

Seriously, sounds like your being a head-case right now and there ain't no way around that short of stopping it. IOW swooping takes 100% concentration on the task at hand. Any thoughts about how you screwed up, or might screw up again, or what hot chick is gonna laugh at you, have zero place in your head while you're swooping. At best it's going to make you screw up again. At worst, it's going to get you hurt.

Maybe make a couple of freefall jumps and forget about the swoop course for a bit? That'd probably clear my head and work for me.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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swooping takes 100% concentration on the task at hand

That's why I'm not jumping right now. I wasn't dialed right today. Too tired, too sore, not really into it. Hey you're the one who stole my confidence. I saw you going into my stuff Sunday morning. But really dude, shouldn't you try and steal someone else's confidence who's more experienced than myself?

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[murps2000 86]

So if anyone out there happens to find my confidence lying in the dirt, please pick it up, brush it off and return it to me. I really don't know what to do without it. ***


Gee, Cougar, that MIG really screwed you up, huh?
Do you not know what happened up there, but you just got so scared? Have you lost the edge? Are you gonna turn in your wings?

Bullshit.

At least you can jump. At least you can try to get back on the horse.

You have over 1000 jumps in less than 3 years so what's the big rush? Maybe take a weekend off and relax. Think about why you do this. Could it possibly be for fun?

Some people have to sit out for months with injuries thinking about every little thing they did to fuck up. That's not you so don't whine. It will be a year before I can go back to Lake Isabella and finish what I started, but you can bet your Canadian ass I will do it.

Now go in the bathroom, look at yourself in the mirror, and slap yourself in the face.


Oh, and maybe you should read your own sig line while you're at it.

[marks 0]

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"Less bitching, more jumping"

i know how you feel.. i get like that sometimes.... just get away. go do somthing else.. you would be surprized what a mountain bike ride at 40 mph down a nasty lookin trail will do for ya.!!

if you keep fightin it it wont go away... let it be what it is and go enjoy yourself, you will be back in notime!..

[Brains 2]

It's memorial weekend, go to twin falls and relax. Fly a bigger canopy and get away from swooping for a while. When you feel like trying again, do it.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[AggieDave 6]

Walk away for a weekend or two if you need to. If you're not 100% with concentration, you're just asking to hurt yourself and we don't need that to happen. Then when you come back go do a couple of altitude clear and pulls, get some time in the saddle so your butt remembers what the canopy responds like. I know that sounds weird, but I know it works for me if I don't swoop much for a couple of weeks due to cranking out tandems.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[teamhypoxia 0]

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This is the COTTON MOUTH
In the PSYCHO-BILLY CADILLAC Come on

Say... what year is that there mo-sheen?


Gonna go do a hop-n-pop and see if I can spot that crazy canadian's confidence from the plane.

(was just listening to that yesterday)

[AggieDave 6]

Well its a 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 automobile...


That's the catch, though. I've personally found that once you have something that snags your confidence it does take a while to build it back up. Even if you go up and nail some good swoops in the back of your mind you feel like it was a luck situation and that its not due to the skill you do have. The last time I took a knock like that it took me 2 weeks of jumping to really get my head back into it.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Brains 2]

You don't even have to take a knock to lose it. I have Zero confidence right now and it is just from not jumping. I am having a very hard time getting back into it.
Steve, i hope you get it back, and you will, just don't push it. You don't want to hurt yourself more/again.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[ryoder 1,398]

Steve:

Clearly the problem is that Fat Bastard has stolen your Mojo.
(He's been know to have done that before.)

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Of course I think we already knew this before hand, but I guess the confidence answer clearly lies in being able to relax (even though I thought Eric stole it and hide it in Fat Bastards trailer). Anyway, I showed up at the DZ today reasonably rested and in good spirits and I swooped well. Obviously the pressure I have experienced was self-inflicted (wanting to do well on the CPC). So it really is a mind game up there. Relax and things usually go well. Stay stressed and ... well you know what happens.

My bad for not following my own sig line.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[Brains 2]

Good for you.

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My bad for not following my own sig line.

We all do it.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[m0ng00se007 0]

Confidence is the key to Optimal Performance. Swoopers who run a course with high self confidence are more relaxed, and don't get intimidated or anxious. They focus on the positive, maintain optimistic thoughts, and allow themselves to trust their ability in crucial situations.

Your confidence can be regained by practicing, by believing in your talent, by others giving you positive feedback. You can gain confidence by winning an event or having one sweet swoop that just felt great. Your thoughts and feelings about yourself and swooping ability will greatly influence your confidence.

The ultimate state of confidence that professional athletes/swoopers strive for is enduring, long-term, self-empowered confidence that is gained through quality practice, sustained success, and a positive attitude. But there are also some quick-fix methods that can boost your self-confidence.

1) Tune Into Your Patterns
The first step to gaining confidence is to examine the thoughts, feelings and situations that help you gain and swoop with confidence. Armed with this information, you can focus on methods of gaining trust that are more relevant for you.

2) Take Control, Don't Be Controlled
Don't let challenging situations scare you and cause you to doubt your ability. Direct your attention to the methods that are within your control... like how much you practice, the quality of your practice, how you respond to a bad swoop or vertical, controlling your mental and physical preparation, and what to focus on or think about in a given situation. All these things can be controlled by you.

3) Delevop Long-Lasting Confidence
Enduring confidence is more stable and based on long-term factors such as: past success, many good swoops, healthy practice, and lots of training. Situational confidence is prone to fluctuate with the demands of each swoop and can change based on the difficulty of the next swoop, how good your last swoop was, or outside pressures and distractions.

Recall how much you have practiced and remember you have "paid the dues" that are necessary to compete at your level. Remember the successful swoops you've made in practice and in competition, rather than focusing on a couple of missed gates.

4) High Confidence, not Fake Confidence
Fake confidence is believing you can do something that is truly above the range of your physical abilities or skills. True self-confidence is an inner belief in your ability without exaggeration of how good you are or the skills you possess.

5) Think, Feel, and Act Confident
Think optimistically and maintain positive feelings and appropriate actions to support your thoughts.
You can hurt your performance by negative thinking, doubt, indecision, and fear. Maintaining optimistic thoughts and feelings and acting poised is one way to maintain your belief in yourself during times of adversity.

6) Be Accountable, Don't Delay
If wait to become confident until after you have a good swoop, this becomes an error in mental preparation. To swoop well be accountable for swooping with confidence before you exit the plane, or before you even gear up.

7) You Get What You Expect
You need to imagine success or picture in your mind what you want rather than what you fear. Imagining success means looking for reasons to swoop well rather than reasons to swoop poorly, expecting good things to come rather than fearing what might go wrong, and seeing yourself swoop well rather than expecting to make mistakes and miss gates.

In Conclusion, what I would suggest is not to take time off or focus on something else, but to embrace the challenge. You have proven you have the skills to successfully make entry gates and have good swoops. Merely, take those positive experiences and self-manifest them into your next swoop.

Make your next swoop easy. Guarantee your success by setting up deeper than you would normally. Focus on plaining out 50-60 feet before the first gate. Then gradually bring it in tighter so that you're at peak performance.

Go For It!
- Jonathan
www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/Flight-1/index.html

[marks 0]

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In Conclusion, what I would suggest is not to take time off or focus on something else, but to embrace the challenge. You have proven you have the skills to successfully make entry gates and have good swoops. Merely, take those positive experiences and self-manifest them into your next swoop

J.T.

I dont think you relize what effect what you just posted will have on people.. thats awesome...
then again maybe you do!... i just wish there was a teary eyed icon...

see ya this week....

[OzoneJunkie 0]

Thanks for the post JT - applicable (of course) to many things - great advice.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Thanks for the advice.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[bluheelrtx 0]

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Well its a 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 automobile...


That's the catch, though. I've personally found that once you have something that snags your confidence it does take a while to build it back up. Even if you go up and nail some good swoops in the back of your mind you feel like it was a luck situation and that its not due to the skill you do have. The last time I took a knock like that it took me 2 weeks of jumping to really get my head back into it.

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I expect that my video from Monday will show up eventually. It was ugly. I put a knee in the pond, skipped and splashed. Water was still falling as I was crawling out of the pond.

I don't know if I've lost confidence or not, but I can't stop thinking that I want to skip work and go back and get it right!!

My new nickname is CHIT - Chow in training.
--

--
Jason
--
Some people never go crazy. What truly boring lives they must lead.

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[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Strongarm...you're putting way too much pressure on yourself as usual. You know what you're doing...RELAX...everything you need is all already there.

_________________________________________

[rhino 0]

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So if anyone out there happens to find my confidence lying in the dirt, please pick it up, brush it off and return it to me. I really don't know what to do without it.

You still have your mojo bro. It's just bruised.. Take a little time off from the gates and just swoop and have fun... You will know it when you are ready to get back in the saddle.. Have faith bro!!

Rhino

[freakydiver 0]

what he said - cross training is a savior for many atheletes that would otherwise get burned out on something, has been for me.

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

[Skyolker 0]

WOW!

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