Controlling the potentially disruptive emotions of stress and anxiety will have a positive effect on your playing or coaching performance

Due to the contact nature of rugby, levels of arousal are generally high although this varies between individuals depending on playing position, responsibility within the team and perceived demands i.e. opposition.

Your challenge is to maximise the positive effects of stress and anxiety and prevent the disruptive effects.

The first step in addressing the stress element of your performance is to identify and recognise an experience that was particularly stressful:

• Recall a particularly stressful experience while playing/coaching
• What did you think during this event?
• What emotions and physical reactions did you feel?
• How did you react to the situation?

Some players thrive when 'the going gets tough' while others will shy away

The 'thinking' outcome often controls the 'feeling' and 'reaction' outcomes. You have control over what you think so you are potentially capable of managing your feelings and actions. The continuum along which the positive and negative outcomes run is determined by arousal.

Arousal is a level of intensity and includes responses such as muscle tension, a racing heartbeat and butterflies

Application Example

Ideal Performance State pre-game for rugby players

Objective

To improve awareness of physical and mental arousal levels

Instruction

Monitor the following aspects of behaviour the night before a game, the morning before, during the warm-up and post match:

• Heart rate
• Butterflies
• Negative self-talk
• Sense of lack of control
• Muscle tension
• Breathing rate
• Sweating rate

Monitor these characteristics over a period of weeks and include training sessions. Compare and contrast arousal symptoms between successful performances and poor performances. Then use TOP TIPS to manipulate your arousal levels.

Outcomes of over-arousal may lead to:

• Poor communication on the pitch
• Over-eager - going for the 'big hit' or tackling high
• Arguing with fellow players and officials
• Committing penalties
• Dirty play
• Loss of concentration
• Technical and tactical mistakes

Coaches are also guilty of suffering from stress and exhibiting negative signs of anxiety

This may lead to the following behaviour:

• Negative comments during pre-match talk
• Too much talking to players
• Continually changing game plan
• Lack of trust in players
• Appearing stressed
• Attempting to arouse players