Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume 5, Issue -2, 1 August 2020 | Page 31

though they are peaking and their game is honed. Then they look up and
check the time and as each second goes by something occurs to shift their
focus and they are no longer in control. Now they can only think about whom
they are up against and what their score is going to be; they know something
isn’t the same. They are aware of their loss of confidance and their sense of
commitment is gone. Predictably these distracting feelings result in a poor
performance. Of course the negative feelings are further amplified by the
knowledge that they are capable of a better performance “if only they didn’t
feel so anxious and distracted”.
Common issues Sports Hypnosis Therapists will encounter that effects an
athlete’s performance are fears and phobias; the difference between a fear
and a phobia is that a fear is based on an actual event and a phobia is
manifested in the mind. A phobia may not be based on something that has
actually occurred. It is said that the number one thing people fear is public
speaking; death is number five on the list.
Most people are afraid of “messing up”, “not doing well”, or simply “perceive
themselves in a negative way”. They may have never been in front of an
audience, yet they are so afraid that they won’t even try, and now “public
speaking” has become a phobia. Then there are those who have a fear an
association from a past negative experience and because of that one
instance, that moment, it has instilled a response in the subconscious mind.
Another client of mine who was seeking a Sports Hypnosis Specialist, was a
hockey player, was dubbed “the play maker” by his coach and peers. As a
result he continually made a commitment to making the play, risking the big
hits in the corner just to feed it to the player in front of the net for the goal, “a
true team player”. One time during a risky play behind the net, he collides
with another player and is thrown off his feet. He comes crashing down,
slamming his head on the ice and loses his bearings for a moment.
Unbeknownst to him, it is in this moment that the he develops a new reaction.
Now he doesn’t seem to try for the puck, doesn’t seem to play with the same
enthusiasm or control as before. He’s not such a “team player” anymore. It is
in this instance that fear has set in and the subconscious mind is playing with
a new reaction.
Many times athletes try to overcome these feelings of fear and avoid putting
themselves into potentially dangerous situations. Sometimes the opposite is
true and they force themselves, overcompensate and make themselves go
through the motions and take a check on purpose for example, but their play
is not the same. After a while, it becomes evident to the player, the coach, or