Often before a competition, we tend to ask our athletes a “trick” question. Of course, this trick question is not designed to deceive the athlete in any way or lead them astray, but rather to “get inside” the athlete’s head, into their way of thinking. What interests us are the athlete’s expectations.
“What do you expect from this competition?”
At this point, the answer that represents the mindset becomes very interesting to us. We closely monitor every word the athlete says and the way they verbalize their expectations. Of course, like all trick questions, the answer is not that simple. But then again, who says sport is simple at all, let alone predictable?
Which answer would be the best?
Which answer would satisfy our curiosity? For which answer would we judge that the athlete truly possesses the right expectations? What even are well-set expectations?
To put it very simply, there are a few solutions that immediately come to mind, which are also common mistakes in expectations. An athlete lacking confidence or aware of their poor form expects it to be very difficult, that the opponents will be very problematic and well-prepared, and that it will take a lot of effort but also luck to defeat them. On the other hand, an athlete who feels they are in form, on an upward trajectory, confident and secure in their abilities, expects to overcome their opponents without major problems.
Right now, it seems like the second athlete has “better” expectations? They are more self-assured, they are aware of their form and abilities, right? However, both athletes make a similar mistake in their expectations. Both are heavily focused on the final outcome of the match.
The first judges that it will be very difficult and, by doing so, limits themselves right from the start. They reduce their chances for a positive outcome and, in a way, sabotage themselves. Perhaps from the very start of the match, their thoughts, emotions, and body language will give away insecurity and worry about the outcome. They will not take risky moves and, consciously or unconsciously, they will fulfill their own prophecy – that is, their expectation of difficult matches.
The second expects it to be fairly easy, that the result will go in their favor, and that their set expectations will be met.
However, neither of the two mentioned athletes took into account the aforementioned unpredictability of sport. They took black-and-white, absolute positions: negative versus positive. Positions that rarely exist in sports. Most importantly, neither focused on the process, the path, but rather on the outcome, the result of the match.
This is precisely where the key lies, and the answer that would convince us of an athlete’s readiness before a competition.
“For the competition ahead of me, I expect nothing. I do not want to underestimate or overestimate my opponents. I am aware of my abilities and I believe in them. I believe in myself and I know that I will be able to face any challenges I encounter. I do not control the opponent and I do not know what to expect from him and his game. That does not interest me, that is not my concern, that is not my preoccupation before the competition. I can only influence myself. I control my thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The only expectation I set for myself is to give my all and to fight until the end. And that is all I can give; I cannot give more than my maximum. Whether that will be enough, I do not know, because it does not depend only on me, but also on the opponent, the refereeing, and conditions that I do not control. I accept the unpredictability of the competition. The only thing I do not accept is giving up—that is not something I believe in or understand. At the moment when I am giving everything I can, at that exact moment, I am the most and the best that I am.”
This is where the story of expectations before a competition comes to an end, and your story begins—a story about focusing on the path rather than the outcome, accepting the unpredictability of every sport, and focusing on giving your current maximum at every single moment.
