curtismelaniej 0 #1 June 17, 2003 Hey all-- just a question going out to all competiors--- I'm looking to hear how you guys deal with the pressures of competition-- to maintain calm, and yet have enough agro to keep going hard. I have certain things that work for me, and certain things I need to work on. I thought just hearing the various ways everyone reaches their peak competition performance (mentally and physically) would be valuable. Thanks! Mel __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryskydives 0 #2 June 17, 2003 Hey Mel: The number one thing is: go to more meets. For a while i was playing pool in a league. The main reason was to work under pressure with a lot of people watching. I also try to up my physical conditioning for meet season. The regors of a meet are actually easier than my hard training days. Airspeed has a system where they rate their aggression level, 1-10, on each jump and then see at what level they perform best. Then of course you must learn to put yourself there. Much easier to do with martial arts than skydiving. Don't run out of altitude and experience at the same time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fraschc 0 #3 June 17, 2003 Hey Melanie, I agree with Harry about the Airspeed arousal level thing. I have spent the last couple training seasons figuring out where I need to be and then figuring out how to get myself there. Trial and error, but I now have a 'program' for myself that I do on the ride to altitude during both training and competition that gets me to my optimal performance arousal level. That way I can better manage the emotional rollercoaster ride during a competition (either getting too amped from a good round or too bummed from a bad round). It helps me keep an even keel. But, like Harry said you have to determine where you need to be and then figure out how to get yourself there. good luck! see you in Elsinore sometime! Courtney Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydive84 0 #4 June 18, 2003 Try to treat the dive like any other. Relax and enjoy it, you can think + react faster when youre chilled. Just make sure you know the dive - but dont go over it so much more than on a training jump that you stress over it. And if in doubt red bull tends to make you better at most stuff! Adi Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 4 #5 June 18, 2003 At a competition I have always made it a practice to forget about a dive that was over and only think about the next dive. I have never been on a team that even briefly discussed a jump afterwards. Discussions and post-dives aplenty in practice though. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samurai136 0 #6 June 18, 2003 Ditto. I stay totally relaxed. By relaxed I mean; have absolutely no thoughts or emotional ties to anything, just stay peaceful in the moment. I don't think about a dive until we go thru the first dirt dive. Then I learn the dive and forget about it until we gear up and practice the exit on the mock up and a bit more dirt dive. Then forget the whole thing until 7 grand when I refresh my memory. During the dive I try to stay relaxed and fly smooth from one point to the next until break off. This doesn't always happen. After the dive I never watch video. Who cares about the last jump? Stay in the moment. Who can skydive well when they're thinking about mistakes made by anyone on the team in the last jump? Usually we have a short discussion about the jump and wait to see what the judge scores. Ken"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #7 June 18, 2003 Have a ritual - the way you dirt dive, set your arousal level on jump run, the order of your visualization during the plane ride and make it the same in practice as in competition. Lots of articles on this site also about 4-way. Many would apply to other competitions. I knew one guy who was always tense during competition (and practice), his team would sing MarqueritaVille (and other songs) on the plane ride up to distract him. Whatever works. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curtismelaniej 0 #8 June 18, 2003 I'm still working on finding what arousal level gives me my optimal performance-- I think it's down on the calmer side-- but not too calm, I still need that fire burning in my belly to kick ass-- basically a trick of mine is to tell myself I'm the shit-- if I don't have the confidence on a particular block, slot-switcher, mirror, whatever, then I just lie to myself about how I'm going to fucking own it. A lot of times that works, then the next time I see something similar, I have the REAL confidence to own it. Tangent-- anyway, so like most, I visualize in the plane DEFinitely, but I also like to keep it relatively light-- dead silent competition planes are a bit annoying to me, so I find myself laughing in my head about how serious everyone else is. Serious is good, but too much of it takes away from my headspace. I'm sooooo rambling here. I posted this because we just had our last meet, and although my team performed very well, I personally felt slightly off the whole day. I worked mentally to overcome that and didn't fuck anything up too badly, in fact we even pulled out a ripper in round 6 (awesome opals)-- whoever advised to do more competitions (Harry, I think that was you...) is right-- I think confidence comes with familiarity, and with confidence comes, relaxation, and with relaxation comes quality execution-- well, most of the time anyway. __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #9 June 18, 2003 You've got a plan. That's all that matters. I keep my arousal level low and use the dive visualization to lock it in. Then I tell myself "I've got it" even if I don't. I don't mind fart at all anymore. I like serious, but on a good dive will start laughing during the dive and that really gets the speed up. The best dive is when we are going so fast, that from when I open until I reach the ground, I'm completely out of breath. Ah, good times, good times ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 7 #10 June 19, 2003 Simple answer....Don't let it get to you. You have trained all year for 10 jumps. Just tell yourself you have it. Realize you are not competing against anyone but yourself. You can not stop another team from scoring...You can only post the best score you can, and hope it is better than the other teams. At the Nats this year... In the plane I thought about the dive till 1,000 feet. I took a break, then at about 5 I started to think about the dive again two different ways. I said the sequence to myself over and over, and I imagined the moves as if I was watching them on camera. At 10,000 feet...Its done.. Nothing more will help, you have it or you don't..This sets it in your mind. As soon as the door opened round one...I told myself I am the most current I have ever been and to have fun. I was ready. Its done."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjasantos 0 #11 June 19, 2003 Hi, You can read as well these 2 articles: Performing Your Best In Competition http://www.mariosantos.com/docs/performing_your_best_in_competition.htm Your Optimum Arousal Level http://www.mariosantos.com/docs/your_optimum_arousal_level.htm Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greuni 0 #12 June 27, 2003 Hi Mel, how are you doing? By the time a I get to the mock up, I am done visualizing. I solidify everything during and immediately following a creeping session. Any doubts that remain after the creeping are settled through visualization immedialetly following a creep. From that point on, I give myself periodic "pop quizes" that test my reaction and understanding of the simple. They are spontanious, fast and short in duration. The ride up consists of focus and regurgitation of this quick and spontanious visualization. I usually have one very detailed period of visualization on the way up to altitude. I run the jump in slow motion while I focus on very fine details of the jump, this happens between 3K qnd 6K ft. When I get close to jump run, RE: 2 minutes out, I begin to activate a state of arousal that I have anchored through a set of triggers. These triggers consist of memories and visualizations composed of as many senses as possible and are designed to release me into the same state of consciousness every time. After that.......you have to put everything together and perform. Hope this helps, you know where to find me. -dvg-dvg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryskydives 0 #13 June 30, 2003 I think confidence comes with familiarity, and with confidence comes, relaxation, and with relaxation comes quality execution. Yeah I totally agree that familiarity is the major key. With the 6 way competition this weekend I had a hard time visualizing until i named the points with 4 or 8 way names. Crank, opel, molar, stereo, bipol, spin it. The six way poker names were a distraction. To just visualize a point with out a familiar name was too hard. PS did we have fun or what? seems that more than a few were too partied out to show up sunday Don't run out of altitude and experience at the same time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shark 0 #14 June 30, 2003 Quote The six way poker names were a distraction. To just visualize a point with out a familiar name was too hard. They have names? Heck, by the time we were in the plane I had already forgotten the dive flow. QuotePS did we have fun or what? seems that more than a few were too partied out to show up sunday Motrin 800. On Sunday I had a good FJC students that made the long class fun. Had all 8 of them in the air by sunset. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
