How to Help in Not Getting Nervous in Basketball Games

A seemingly good player who practices hard and seems to love everything about basketball suddenly becomes a bag of nerves before every game. The player can no longer shoot the ball with ease. Every pass seems to end up in the stands. The player jumps like he has concrete in the bottom of his sneakers. It may sound odd, but many athletes become uncontrollably nervous when it comes time to perform in a game. A good coach needs to recognize these problems and learn how to calm those nerves.

Instructions

  1. Keeping nerves down

    • 1

      Visualize success. In his classic baseball book "Ball Four," Jim Bouton theorized that the difference between a professional athlete and an amateur is confidence. An amateur responds to pressure by thinking about past failures in similar situations, while a professional focuses on past successes. Visualize playing a good game as opposed to thinking about not making mistakes. That's a key to preventing nervousness.

    • 2

      Practice the hard parts. NBA legend Jerry West had a habit as a child to always sink the last shot of every practice. He imagined the last shot as being the final in a game with the seconds winding down. If he hit the shot, he celebrated in his head. If he missed, he would simply do it over until he got it right. The practice helped when he was in real in games. A good mental image will help cut down a case of nerves.

    • 3

      Zone out obstacles. This may sound hard, and it can be, but players need to learn to clear their minds of any distractions. That means tuning out fans, screaming parents or even those fears of failure. A trick for players is to focus on one thing such as simply following the ball and thinking about only seeing it come to them. Or they can concentrate on passes. This helps block out other problems.

    • 4

      Think about what you eat. A player who overloads on sugars and junk food before a game to get "energy" may be hurting herself physically, and to some extent mentally. Eat healthy foods before a game, including items high in protein such as peanut butter and fruits. This will give the brain a boost. On the same note, finding a comfort food before the game can help prevent nerves.

    • 5

      Find a good luck charm. When all else fails, go random by making something a habit before game. You might consider putting a sock first on the right foot and then a sneaker on the right foot. Then repeat on the left side. On the court, try to high-five every teammate during warm-ups or touch the bottom of your shoes before a free throw. Thinking about those details will make a person forget about the worries over nerves.