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Many coaches believe that the only way a performer will learn to "handle" competition pressure is to get lots of experience in competitions.
However, this neglects some potentially very powerful experiences which are readily available to performers. There are at least three areas of experience which performers can draw on in order to learn how to
maintain, or even improve, their performance under external stress.
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1. Actual Competition
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This is the most valuable form of experience available. One can learn as ong as he or she has proper preparation beforehand and evaluation
afterwards.This means that there must be enough time between competitions for the performers to plan and prepare themselves—especially in the case of youngsters who have still to
learn how to do so. In reality, performers usually learn less than could be expected: successes are more usually attributed to "getting it all together", and failures to poor
refereeing, bad lighting, "dirty" opponents, etc.
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2. Mock Contests & Structured Training Situations
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These training situations can be used to introduce competition factors in a controlled way so that performers can gradually learn strategies to cope
with them. To encourage self-confidence, these learning experiences should be structured to produce positive outcomes as often as possible. If they do not, they should be modified and
repeated until they do.
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3. Own Imagination
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As we have seen, mental rehearsal, or imagery, is much used by elite performers both in training and during competition. It is very effective when
used alongside actual experience.
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All three of these different forms of experience can be used to help performers improve control in their competitive environment.
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