How to Cope with Stress Before a Volleyball Game

You are unlikely to be able to find a volleyball player who doesn’t experience stress before big games. It’s no surprise that even the legendary volleyball players often feel stressed before very important volleyball matches in their sport career.

It’s fair to say that famous athletes are constantly under pressure. That’s the reason why some athletes find it difficult to deal with stress. And of course, uncontrollable stress is something that may negatively affect an athlete’s performance on the court and, therefore, the results of a game. That’s why it’s so important for a volleyball player to know how to deal with stress.

So, the question is – what to do if you are stressed before a big volleyball game? In fact, there are many ways to reduce stress and prepare for a volleyball game mentally. Below, we have provided tips to help volleyball players fight stress in an effective way and get ready for a volleyball game mentally.

Listen to Music

There has been a lot of talk about the relaxing effects of music. Listening to music is a great way to reduce stress as well as anxiety before a big volleyball game. Research has shown that listening to relaxing music can reduce stress by 65 percent. Volleyball players of all skill levels can take advantage of this fact. That means that a volleyball player has to create a list of his/her favorite songs and listen to them before a match. It’s clear that it would be great for volleyball players to listen to songs that make them more relaxed. Achieving relaxation will definitely help athletes reduce their pre-match stress significantly.

Take Deep Breaths

It’s a great idea to take deep breaths before big volleyball games. This type of relaxation technique makes it possible for volleyball players to calm nerves, reduce stress and relax before big games. So, we would recommend athletes to take slow and long breaths before the most important volleyball matches in their sport career.

Take Advantage of Yoga

There is no doubt that yoga would be a good addition to a volleyball player’s training program. The reality is yoga offers a complex of breathing exercises as well as many good stretches that have a huge positive effect on a volleyball player’s nervous system. That’s the reason why it makes a lot of sense for volleyball athletes to practise yoga exercises before big games.

It’s also important for you to know that yoga plays a big role in preventing volleyball injuries. Doing yoga stretches is likely to help you relax muscles as well as mind and avoid different types of injuries. So, it’s recommended for volleyball players to do yoga stretches after matches and practices.

Make Use of Mental Imagery

Volleyball players choose to practise visualization (also known as mental imagery) for obvious reasons. It’s worth noting that visualization helps volleyball players master their skills (such as hitting, blocking, digging, setting, passing and serving). Another big advantage is that visualization allows volleyball players to boost their confidence. So, you’ll definitely feel more confident on the court if you choose to make use of visualization before a match. There is the evidence that visualization helps volleyball players stay positive. However, the most important thing is that mental imagery also helps volleyball players reduce their stress dramatically. It goes without saying that visualization can greatly contribute to a volleyball player’s success.

Stop Being Negative

Some volleyball players get stressed because they stay focused on negative things all the time. Negativity is something that causes stress to volleyball players. If this is the case, you obviously need to switch your focus from negative stuff to positive things. Obviously, volleyball players need to concentrate on themselves and on positive things. If you stay positive, then things will certainly go easy and you’ll be able to demonstrate great performance during a game. It’s incredibly important for volleyball players to control their thoughts as well as emotions before, during and after a game. That means that any kind of negative self-talk should be avoided.

Have Some Fun

Having some fun is a good way to relieve stress as well as anxiety before an important volleyball match. Bear in mind that you’ll definitely find it easy to relax and stay positive if you choose to have some fun before big volleyball games. It would be nice for volleyball players to get together, organize a party and have a good time together before a big game. Having some fun will definitely help volleyball players relax, forget about a game, reduce stress and get ready for a match mentally.

Interact with Other Members of a Volleyball Team

It would be great for you to interact with other players of your volleyball team before big matches. There is no question that communication is incredibly important for mental preparation of volleyball players. Spend some time with your team, discuss the strategies and have talks with other volleyball players and coaches. Also, you should definitely support other members of your volleyball team if you find that such a need arises. Without a doubt, interacting with other members of your team will certainly help you relax and feel better before big volleyball games.

Boost Your Confidence Before a Game

As you probably know, the success of a volleyball player depends a lot on his/her confidence. It’s pretty clear that a volleyball player has to stay confident during a volleyball game. If a volleyball player feels confident, then he/she is likely to demonstrate better performance on the court during a match. That means that a volleyball player should do every single thing possible to boost his/her confidence and improve his/her performance on the court.

Focus on Your Strengths

You need to know that every volleyball player (even professionals) has its weak and strong sides. If you choose to focus on your weak sides, then you’ll most likely begin to worry and experience a lot of stress during a volleyball game. Remember, panic will make things even worse. On the other hand, you’ll be able to boost your confidence if you concentrate on your strong sides. It’s very important for a volleyball player to believe in his/her abilities. This will definitely have a positive impact on his/her performance during volleyball games and practices.

Warm Up Properly Before Volleyball Games and Practices 

It’s widely known that volleyball players should always warm up properly before games and practices. The reality is volleyball players can benefit from a warm up period in many ways. Doing warm up exercises helps volleyball players prepare for the game of volleyball physically. On the other hand, doing warm up exercises makes it possible for athletes to relax their muscles and prevent different types of injuries during a game. And most importantly, performing warm up exercises need to be done by athletes to ease stress as well as anxiety before volleyball matches and games.

Train Hard and Do Your Best to Get the Most Out of Practices 

Keep in mind that it’s normal for athletes to experience stress before big volleyball games. That means that if you don’t experience stress before an important volleyball match, then you are an irresponsible person. On the other hand, you will most likely worry a lot and experience stress if you are a diligent athlete who feels responsibility and wants to contribute greatly to your team’s success. The reality is it’s natural for people to experience stress before important events that happen in their life.

One of the best ways to handle pre-match stress is to train hard before big games. You should train hard on a regular basis and avoid skipping volleyball practices. Plus, you obviously should put more focus on training before important volleyball matches.

If you train hard, then you are likely to be physically well-prepared for a volleyball match. Good physical preparation will probably result in good mental preparation. If you work hard during volleyball practices, then you’ll probably feel confident in your abilities and this will help you reduce stress. The task of a volleyball player is to make sure that he/she has done every single thing possible to prepare for a match in the best possible way.

 

Thank you so much for reading this article. We have just explained to you how to deal with stress before a volleyball match. Do you find it hard to deal with pre-match stress? Follow our tips to reduce stress before big volleyball games and maximize your performance on the court. Best of luck!